Two Can Play That Game
by xxlovely
Summary: Shane is used to getting what he wants,when he wants. Mitchie is a small town girl who's landed herself a big job in the city. What happens when the egotistical star gets his comeuppance in the form of the new pa? Hate is inevitable,but what about love?
1. Chapter 1

Shane grey is used to getting what he wants, when he wants, no exceptions. Mitchie Torres is a small town girl who's landed herself a big job in the city. But what happens when the egotistical pop star gets his comeuppance in the form of the newly instated PA? Hatred was inevitable, but what about love?

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**Hello there! So I'm here with yet another new fic, maybe it's not the wisest thing having three fic's on the go at one time, but hey! What the hell! This was an idea which literally just popped into my head so I hope you like it, I need between 5-8 reviews before I post chapter 2, thanks guys and I hope you enjoy it! ******

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but my stories, which i'm very proud of...SORRY FOR TYPO'S**

* * *

I yawned an over exaggerated yawn, not because I was tired. No, I get my 8 hours each night, but to show how utterly bored I was of this routine. The same thing day in day out;

Wake up

Studio

Lunch

Concert

Party

Sleep

See my problem? No? Not many people do, but for crying out loud, I'm Shane Grey, _the_ Shane Grey, international music sensation and heartthrob to any female and...Male with a pulse. What can I say? I'm completely irresistible.

I'm destined for bigger things than this; it's universally known that I am one above the rest.

"Dude, can you at least try and act polite" Nate hissed to me. Let me introduce Nate to you, my 17- going on 30 year old brother and the apparent 'musical talent' of connect three.

Talent my ass. The only talent he posses is successfully seeing through puberty and managing that mop that he calls hair every morning.

I rolled my eyes, only causing him to hiss once more "For god's sake Shane's cant you leave childish behaviour until _after_ the press conference"

Oh did I forget to mention that I was currently sitting in front of a horde of paparazzi and reporters.

"Shane, Shane! What is it like being begged on a daily basis by female fans to be their 'babies daddy'" my ears perked up in interest when I heard my name, I sat up straight in my chair, flicked my black locks off of my eyes and shot one of my 'heart-melting smiles'

"Obviously it's completely understandable; just one look at me and you'd see why so many feel the way they do. But the ladies will have to keep those legs crossed because there will be no mini Shane's for the foreseeable"

"Shane" This time it was Jason's turn to mutter my name in a harsh manner under this breath. What? Did I say something wrong?

Oh well.

"Shane! Over here" A female voice called out, causing me to move my attention to the source of the voice. Meh, not bad, I'd say about a 6/10, nice blonde hair....oh no. Big turn off. Hawk nose alert. Shame. "Rumours have recently been circulating that you are thinking about pursuing a solo career, is there any truth in this?"

I paused for a second as I thought the next few words carefully, as I knew that I would be a phenomenon as a solo artist they were still my brothers and deep down...deep, deep, deep down, I loved them...well liked them at least.

"None in the slightest, me and my brothers work as a team and are extremely successful with it. So no, no solo career in the works"

The crowd seem satisfied with my answer as they scribbled various notes on to their notepads.

I lost interest in the rest of the press conference as the questions weren't focused on me, bad choice in my opinion, well all know that the only reason seventeen and Cosmo girl fly off the shelves is because they are filled with information about yours truly.

I exhaled deeply with a slight sense of relief as the reporters began to filter out of the room, yet another tedious interview out the way, at least I'll be able to see my face on just Jared in the morning.

"You're unbelievable Shane, do you know that?" I turned round to Nate, Mr- Oh-So –Serious with a raised eyebrow

Queue cocky comeback "People have said so in the past, but it's always nice to hear"

He just rolled his eyes "Whatever, I don't have the time or patience to listen to you idolise yourself, we've got to get going we've got to be at the studio in an hour"

"Err Why?" I glanced at my watch, it was already gone half one in the afternoon, Shane Grey does not, and I repeat does not go without lunch, ever.

"We're meeting our new PA" Jason announced,

"PA?"I repeated with a sense of disbelief

"Yeah you know, personal assistant, we've had several before..." Nate trailed off

"But what happened to the last one...Rachel...Ray..."

"Rosie? You scared her off Shane; funnily enough some women don't like being constantly hit on."

Oh c'mon that girl was obviously a lesbian then. Every girl falls for the Shane Grey Charm

"Well let's go. We haven't got all day"

-

* * *

MITCHIE POV

"Caitlyn!" I shouted from the living room to the kitchen "Caitlyn, this guy is unbelievable" I stated in utter disbelief. Telling his fans to close their legs? Jeez, I'm pretty sure that the majority of his fan base is still too underdeveloped or young to know what the concept of sex is.

Caitlyn strutted into the room, her curly hair bouncing off of her shoulders "Well I do have to agree, the guy is hot"

I shook my head, my eyes still glued to the TV set watching the live stream of Connect 3's latest press conference "No, arrogance is not attractive."

"Oh c'mon Mitchie you have to admit that there is a part of you that fantasises about having your wicked way with him. Look at him, god the things I would do...." I rolled my eyes as she trailed off, obviously drowning in her unrealistic fantasies.

But unlike her, and 99% of teenage girls in the world, I do not find Shane Grey attractive, nor do I imagine myself pinned up against the wall with him. I must be delusional right?

No, just one of the only sane teenage females roaming the earth.

I glanced at the digital clock, laying on the table beside me "Shit" I cursed under my breath, I had exactly one hour before I had to arrive at Hollywood Records, dressed to impress, with the fakest smile plastered across my face, ready to start a job I know nothing about

Yep, you hear right- nothing. I had been in Los Angeles for little over a month and the desperation of finding a job suitable to my qualifications was getting ridiculous. I was fresh out of high school, on my own, besides Caitlyn, miles away from home. I didn't want a job like everyone else; I didn't want to work in a pizzeria or in Barney's. I wanted a career, and apparently the way to get to my dream career- Music producer, was to start from the bottom. And apparently that was PA'ing.

I had dragged Caitlyn across town, visiting every record label possible, known, unknown, you name it, I got on my knees and begged for a placement. I was about to give up hope until we rolled up to the last destination- Hollywood records, responsible for some of today's most successful artists, including Connect 3.

So when I heard they had an opening for their new personal assistant, apparently the previous assistant had to leave for irreconcilable differences between herself and a member of the band. In other words Shane Grey. But I didn't care; I put my thoughts and opinions of him and his brothers aside, and focused on bagging that job. I googled everything and anything you needed to know about the brothers, including their allergies, irrational fears and bad habits, and it was safe to say that by the interview, I could sit an exam on Connect 3 and pass with flying colours.

Which I did. I blew them out of the water. The other candidates didnt have a chance.

So here I am, running around my two bedroom city apartment, finding something appropriate to wear, whilst dragging a brush through my dishevelled locks.

"Do I look okay?" I asked as I stood in front of Caitlyn. I decided on a simple white blouse and a grey pencil skirt finished off by a pair of red heels.

She nodded "Fierce! And I'm pretty sure Shane will think so too"

"Whatever" I scoffed as I grabbed my keys off the counter "I'll be back around six; I'll bring some take out back with me"

"Score!"

"Bye" I shut the door behind me before jumping into my beat up mustang which I had gotten for my sixteenth birthday. It had been through a lot with me, including my move from New Jersey to California. I put the keys in the ignition and pulled away from the curb. Here goes nothing.

-

I arrived at the building with a few minutes to spare, silently praying that the Grey brothers weren't ones for being early, I didn't want to come across as unreliable on the first day. I breathed out a huge sigh of relief as I entered the office to find it empty. Thank god.

I pulled down my pencil skirt as I nervously awaited for their arrival, the only noise besides my heavy breathing- the clock ticking past, indicating the slow pass of time.

I smiled warmly as the three of them entered the room, firstly Jason, a wide grin plastered across his face, childlike even. Followed closely by Nate, admittedly good looking for a guy of his age, with a small yet friendly smile playing at his lips, with last but not least Mr reincarnation of Jesus himself- Shane Grey, with Oh what a surprise- no smile.

"Hi" I greeted as confident and composed as possible as I internally pushed aside the urge to have one of those crazy fan girl moments

I exchanged a quick but firm handshake with Nate and an overly friendly embrace from Jason as they introduced themselves, which of course was unnecessary, but polite nevertheless.

"I'm Michelle, but please call me Mitchie; Michelle makes me sound like an 80 yr old"

I heard a cough coming from Shane followed with a few muttered words, which I swear were "you look like one too" I shook it off, mentally taking note of his comments and behaviour for future encounters.

"Well it's nice to meet you Mitchie" Jason chimed in; I couldn't help but smile at his carefree, upbeat personality

"Like wise"

"Sorry, but we've just got to make a couple of calls real quick, but in the mean time, get acquainted with Shane" And with that Nate and Jason scurried out of the room, all happiness and comfort leaving with them, being replaced by a thick uneasy atmosphere. I pondered for a couple of seconds, rocking back and forth on my heels before plucking up the courage to speak.

"Hi" I repeated, waiting for the polite acknowledgment from the middle brother, instead all I got was a grunt.

I rolled my eyes "So he is really as much of a jerk in real life" I muttered under my breath, not quite caring if he heard or not.

Of which he did, "Err what did you say?" his eyes narrowed as he brought his gaze to meet mine,

"Oh so he _does_ speak" I replied sarcastically, I know I wasn't acting completely professional, especially for the first day, but if I had any chance of riding out this job for the foreseeable future, I needed respect before I would even consider giving him any.

His mouth fell open slightly, forming an 'o' shape, oh someone wasn't expecting a comeback

"Obviously, I do use my voice for my career"

"But that also prohibits you from acknowledging my existence?"

"I did!" he protested lightly "I...err..."

"Grunted?" I finished off his sentence

"An acknowledgement is an acknowledgment."

He was right, as rude as it was, he was right. Thankfully seconds later, Nate and Jason reappeared, giving me no further need to create conversation with the egotistical pop star.

"I'm really Sorry, Michelle...I mean Mitchie, but we've got to dash, something about the album release. It was nice meeting you; see you tomorrow morning bright and early at 9am?" Nate asked nicely before shaking my hand

I simply nodded "I'll be there"

I bent down, retrieving my bag from the chair, forgetting about how my blouse gapped down, unintentionally revealing my not so prude fuchsia lacy bra. As I got back up I noticed Shane shuffling his feet semi-uncomfortably, with a slight blush across his cheeks.

Oh.

Oh, this is good. _The_ womanizer himself gets uncomfortable at the sight of a bit of lace. Maybe he's not all what he makes out to be.

Oh this was going to be interesting.

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**So there you go, there's the first chapter, I hope you liked it, I'm not sure but as far as an opening chapter goes I think it went well. Please review and tell me what you think, even if it's only a couple of words, it makes my day and helps me improve on my writing techniques.**

**REVIEW!**

**And check out my other fic's, especially Help Me Remember.**


	2. Chapter 2

**So guys I'm back, and I'm happy beyond words...I saw the script and snow patrol live yesterday and oh my god, they were amazing, I'm still reeling from it! So I feel kind of bad for ignoring you for the past couple of days but hey, I'm back and I'm here to update.**

**So let me also say...wow. I post one chapter of a completely new fic and you guys review like crazy! 19 reviews?! 22 alerts and 9 favourites? I really can't begin to thank you enough, Keep on reviewing, my motto is more reviews, more updates.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but my stories. Sorry for the typo's!**

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* * *

Eurgh

I hate mornings.

Better yet, I hate mornings where I have to get up at 6am to get ready for a day's slavery for three of the most sort after teenage boys on the face of the planet. Listen to me; I'm already complaining and its day one.

Wow, this is already going so, so well.

I glanced at the clock, hoping that my eyes had deceived me, all I wanted was one more hour, one precious hour of sleep...but no- 6:04am. Great.

I rolled out of bed reluctantly, trying my best not to wake Caitlyn who had only gotten in from a night shift about an hour ago, and made my way into the shower.

I let myself endure the coldest shower of my life as I woke myself up properly, getting into a professional and organised mindset, thinking of all the possible things I could be doing today...

Organising meetings...shopping for the boys....being in the studio...coffee runs.

Something tells me that it would be the final option.

I turned off the shower, now feeling slightly more awake, and slightly more prepared to conquer whatever 'diva' moments I'd be receiving from connect 3 today.

And when I say connect 3, I mean Shane.

I have always been a surprisingly good judge of character, knowing near enough automatically whether or not I was going to get on with someone, but when it came to Shane I couldn't read him. I mean within seconds of me being in his presence he had already pinned me down as someone he thought didn't deserve the time of day, but I couldn't find a reason why. I couldn't establish whether or not this harsh demeanour was a defence mechanism towards new people, but then again he's met thousands of new people in his life, his fans for instance, but he's not always so cold as that...most of the time.

Part of me wondered if there was a decent, kind and polite guy under all the hard exterior, I didn't want to write him off within 24 hours of knowing him, but then again I wasn't going to take any of his shit.

I was going to give him another chance, so what if my first impressions of him was that he was a complete asshole who needs to be brought down a peg or two...it's not like first impressions mean anything...

Right?

-

* * *

SHANE

I watched as she strutted into the room, obviously exaggerating each step, making her hips sway in a way that's apparently supposed to look sexy whilst giving the three of us a small wave.

I ignored her, spinning my chair around to face the computer screen which was currently opened on oceanup, and of course I was checking the latest pictures and info on yours truly, after all, I'm the sole reason why that website is as popular and highly visited as it is.

"Hi Mitchie, all ready for your first official day as a Connect 3 personal assistant?" Nate asked excitedly, what a loser.

"Yep, although I am slightly nervous, is that normal?"

"Completely"

"Okay well, what am I doing today?" she asked, placing her bag on the floor and straightening her skirt.

"We've got to put the finishing touches to the album so we'll be pretty caught up all day, but we've got all the dates for tours, appearances, photo shoots and interviews off of out publicist for you so you can go over them, organise them, do whatever you want...sorry it's not the most exciting of days, but I promise they do get better"

She smiled and nodded, whilst giving the studio a quick once over, her eyes lighting up slightly as she took sight of the producing equipment, before returning her focus towards us.

"Do you guys want anything whilst you're setting up?" she asked overly sweetly, a sound that's probably already burnt into my brain.

"A latte would be great" Nate replied "A double shot latte would be amazing actually, just what I need " he shot her one of his weedy smile's which apparently make's some girls swoon. Fugly girls, if you ask me.

"Jason?"

"Oh can I have a hot chocolate! I haven't had one since...this morning!"

She let out a light laugh "Shane?" she turned her attention to me, trying to make eye contact with me.

I pondered thought for a second, thinking of something that she was almost certainly going to get wrong "Erm, I'll have the usual, a soya decaff double shot strawberry frapachino with little froth and vanilla frosting, with one and a half sweeteners."

Her eyes widened slightly, ah ha. Now who's the smart one? "Okay Shane," she replied with a smile...a smile, hold on, that wasn't part of the plan. She was supposed to get angry...or at least roll her eyes at me.

Crafty bitch.

"I'll be back as soon as I can" she shot Nate and Jason and smile and left, leaving the three of us alone in the recording studio

"I know it's a little early on in the game, but I like her, she seems nice, organised and has the right attitude for a band like us- not too serious, but not silly. I think she's going to be a keeper" I rolled my eyes at Nate's comment she had literally been in our lives 24 hours and he already claims that she is some sort of saviour.

"Really?" I asked sarcastically, both of them nodded like idiots

"Yeah, don't you like her Shane?"

"No" I answered bluntly, feeling that I didn't need to elaborate

"Why? What the hell isn't there to like?"

Okay so maybe they wanted me to elaborate "Just don't, She's too full of herself"

"Dude that's called confidence"

"Well I don't care what it is, I don't like her and I don't think she'll last long, hell I give her a week."

They didn't reply, instead making their way towards the piano where they began to play the melody to our upcoming single, which was inevitably going to be a hit, after all with my angelic voice and my brother's mediocre instrumental talents, it wouldn't be any less than amazing.

She re-entered the room trying to balance her hand bag and a tray of coffees from the star bucks around the corner in record time, a lot faster than all of our previous assistants had.

"Nate, your double shot latte..." she picked the cup out of the holder and handed to him, which he returned with a sickly sweet thanks

"Jason, your hot chocolate, there's whipped cream on it as well, hope you don't mind"

"Mind? Not at all, I love cream! Cheers Mitch" He shot her one of his chesire cat grins and proceeded on filling his mouth with the liquid.

"And last but not least a soya decaff double shot strawberry frapachino with little froth and vanilla frosting, with one and a half sweeteners for Shane"

I cautiously took it from her grip, wondering if she had poisoned it with anthrax in the process. After deciding that she probably doesn't have the intellectual capacity to think of something as globally devastating as killing me, I took a sip...

She'd got it right. My whole completely over the top order, and she had managed to get right. No one had remembered the order correctly before.

I wasn't going to let her win, she wasn't supposed to get this right, it was supposed to have too much froth or it to be caffeinated instead of decaffeinated.

I didn't think what I was about to do through, the only thing running through my head was how I had to put this Michelle girl in her place...call it an initialisation if you will. I got off my chair, removing the lid off of the coffee in the process before casually chucking the cup and its contents towards her as I passed her.

Oh I'm so good.

She jumped back, her eyes widening in the process as the ice cold liquid flew all over her, drenching her white shirt , causing it to go brown

"What the hell was that for?!" Nate exclaimed, his voice raised. Ugh to show the new girl whose boss around here that's what.

I shrugged, continuing to walk over to the guitar stand, choosing any random one ready for recording.

"Are you alright Mitchie?" Jason asked as I turned around to face the trio, Mitchie currently assessing the damage to her blouse.

She nodded slightly, her bangs covering her face as she attempted to wring out the moisture from her top "Yeah"

"Shane, apologise" Nate demanded in a harsh tone, a tone which I rarely ever hear leaving his mouth

"Why should I?"

"Because you purposely spilt coffee over her that's why"

"She got it wrong" I lied "It wasn't soya"

Nate rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air as Mitchie returned her gaze to mine with a raised eyebrow, she knew I was lying.

"For Christ's sake Shane, what the hell is wrong with you? You threw a beverage over her because it wasn't up to your standards?"

I nodded the smug grin still on my lips

"You're a complete ass" Jason piped up "Don't worry Mitch. We'll pay for dry cleaning, or replace it"

She shook her head "No, it's okay, really."

"Well we're taking you out for dinner tonight then" Nate said

"I'm not going!" I exclaimed, admittedly a little too loudly "Why would I want to socialise with an employee" I spat out, causing Nate to narrow his eyes and Mitchie to look down towards her feet with a hurt expression spread across her face

Aha, pushed a button.

"Well then I'll take you to dinner" he continued

"No, really its okay, it's just a bit of coffee, no biggie" she protested

"Mitchie, I insist. Why don't you take the rest of the day off, and I'll pick you up tonight around 8. Hopefully my ass of a brother over there may have miraculously matured by the morning"

"Unlikely" I heard Jason mutter, causing me to clench my fist

"I couldn't! It's my first day...oh my god you're sending me home on my first day, I might as well say goodbye to my job"

Probably for the best.

"No, no, look Mitch, it's been an eventful morning, and your job will still be here in the morning, promise" Nate flung his arm around her shoulder and gave her one of those sideward's hugs before grabbing her bag for her "I'll see you later okay?"

She nodded and made her way towards the door, briefly stopping beside me, as she whispered in my ear "I'd wipe that smug grin off your face if I were you, you think you're going to win whatever game you've got going on, you're sadly mistaken" and with that she patted me on the shoulder and left, leaving me standing there my mouth open slightly.

This girl was something...

-

* * *

MITCHIE

I threw my bag on my sofa in utter frustration, it was only 11:14 and I was already home. Home from a job that I only started just over two hours previous, and why?

Because of Shane Grey. The 19 year old pain in the ass.

I unbuttoned my blouse, one I had spent a lot on, and threw it in the bin, the stain wouldn't come out, there was too many bloody ingredients in that mixture of a coffee for the blouse to look the same again.

I sighed loudly, as I walked into the living room, throwing myself down on the sofa besides Caitlyn in just a bra and a skirt.

She looked at me tiredly with a raised eyebrow "Err why aren't you at work?"

"I was."

"Was? Oh god Mitch please tell me you haven't been fired on the first day" her eyes were wide as she readjusted herself to face me "And why aren't you wearing a top? Was that part of the uniform? I never knew connect 3 were like that..."

"I haven't been fired Cait, but I did however get a second shower this morning in the form of Shane's iced coffee"

She bit her lip, stopping herself from laughing "Oh Mitch, you spilt his coffee over yourself?"

I shook my head "Oh no, even better the diva did it himself"

"Noooooooooo!"

I nodded "Oh yes my friend... and to make matters worse I'm having dinner with Nate tonight" I threw my head back on to the sofa, currently wanting to be engulfed in a black hole or at least a deep sleep, as my annoyance and dislike for the middle Grey grew.

Caitlyn jumped off the sofa "WHAT?! YOU'RE HAVING DINNER WITH THE HOTTIE THAT IS NATHANIEL GREY?"

"The very same" I replied completely unphased,

"Oh my god " she muttered, running her hands through her dishevelled hair "This is so unfair...Nate Grey, Nate fricken Grey...Oh Mitchie, imagine if you pull a Grey..."her mouth fell open even further as she paused for a second "Oh god, imagine if you bedded a Grey..."

"Stop..I'm not going to bed Nate so get your mind out of the gutter. He's my boss."

She winked "Oh he can be my boss..."

"NO, no, no" I shut my eyes as tightly as I could "Stop. Mental images"

Caitlyn laughed "Fine, but you're going to look smoking hot tonight, we've got to show Nate that you leave all seriousness at the office"

"So you're saying that I should come across easy?" I asked slightly offended, but after all this was Caitlyn and when you've known her as long as I have, you get used to her comments.

"No, just that you're fun and sexy... in a non cradle snatcher kind of way"

I rolled my eyes "I'm 18 Caitlyn, he's 18 in like 2 months, I don't quite think that counts as cradle snatching"

She shrugged "Whatever, now c'mon we've got to find you an outfit"

I groaned as Caitlyn grabbed my wrist and dragged me towards my room, let the chaos begin.

-

* * *

"I am NOT wearing that" I protested as I stared at the latest outfit to be fished out of my closet- a little black dress that barely covered my ass, perfect for clubbing, not so perfect when going to dinner with an international music sensation. I huffed as I shoved Caitlyn out of the way, looking at the clothes that were still hanging , amongst the others which were scattered over my floor.

It was now little after five and I had less than three hours to get prepared for a meal that in all honesty I didn't want to go to. Don't take it the wrong way, from what I can make of, Nate seems like a nice enough guy- polite, caring...not to mention smoking hot, but I didn't feel well enough acquainted with him to be sitting at a table eating food within a close proximity.

Would it be a fancy meal? Five stars....candle lit...a violinist playing whilst we tuck into a plate of food so small that it could be mistaken as ant food which cost enough for a month's rent.

Or would we go to a McDonalds drive thru buying a big Mac meal?

Eurgh, I hated being a girl sometimes. Guys could wear anything and pass it off as either casual or smart, where as girls, you either look like a tramp or look like a slut...there was no midpoint. Not in my eyes anyway.

I was about to give up all together when my eyes stopped on the perfect outfit. I yanked it off of the hanger and turned towards Caitlyn "This?" I held up a teal sundress, which tied just under the bust. Casual, yet could be dressed up with a necklace if necessary.

She nodded in satisfaction "Smoking...now get your ass in that chair" she pointed towards the dresser "I'm going to do your hair"

My eyes widened, the last time I let Caitlyn touch my hair it went green.

"Don't look so alarmed, I'm only going to straighten it"

-

* * *

I sat impatiently watching as the clock slowly ticked away- 7:56, four minutes till the youngest member of connect 3 came knocking at my door, taking me out for a meal- a dream in many girls eyes, and it was safe to say I was nervous as hell, millions of butterflies currently erupting in the pit of my stomach.

I looked at myself in the reflection of the TV, my hair pin straight and my face covered in a layer of makeup, enhancing my best features- my eyes. I had finished my outfit with a simple pair of silver pumps and some silver studs in my ears.

My chest began to pound as I heard the door bell ring, this was it. Caitlyn sprinted to the door like a kid at Christmas, totally hyped up that she was about to see her celebrity crush in person. She swung the door open revealing Nate with a beaming smile across his face, wearing dark denim jeans and a simple black dress shirt.

"Hi!" Caitlyn breathed out

"Hi, is Mitchie about?" he asked as I appeared in the hallway "Ah there she is, ready to go?"

I nodded, putting my bag over my shoulder "Nice to meet you..."

"Caitlyn." She finished

"See ya" I shouted before shutting the door behind me

We made our way towards his car, which must I say is the hottest looking mustang I've ever laid eyes on, in silence. He opened the passenger door for me like a complete gentlemen as I couldn't help but wonder how on earth could he be related to someone like Shane.

"You look really nice Mitchie" Nate complimented as he started the ignition and pulled away from my apartment complex

"Thanks" I replied sheepishly, not knowing how to react. It's not every day you get a compliment about your appearance from a heart throb, let alone your boss. "So errr...where are we going?" I asked curiously

"Well, there's this restaurant I've always wanted to go to since I've been in LA and this seems like the perfect opportunity, I hope you like Italian..." he took his eyes off the road momentarily waiting for my reaction

"Love it."

-

* * *

"Okay...favourite colour?" I asked as we continued our extended game of 20 questions whilst tucking into a starter of garlic bread. I had been with Nate for little over an hour and I had instantly warmed to him. Not only had he picked the most beautiful restaurant I've ever been to with the most breath taking view of the Californian beach, but he treated me like a friend, there was no awkwardness between us whatsoever.

"Umm" he pondered thought for a second "Grey"

I rolled my eyes "Please... are you honestly telling me that your favourite colour is your surname?"

He nodded "Yep, its practical if not slightly ironic"

"If you say so Mr Pop star...your go"

"Okay, so I've already established that you're 18 and a Christmas eve baby, that you're originally from New Jersey, like me and that you have two older brothers back home...so there's only two more crucial questions left"

"And what are they?" I asked intrigued

"One- Are you single?"

"Yeah." I shot back almost automatically, relationships were never my forte, hence why I tried to steer clear from them... let's just say after several boyfriends cheating on you, you try and protect your heart by staying single. "And the second question?"

I knew that he probably wanted to know why or how I was single, that's usually the way the conversation goes, but tonight I didn't want to talk about it, I was having a pleasant time, making a new friend and I didn't want my disastrous past to effect that.

"Are you a connect 3 fan?" she said with a smug grin

"Would you kill me if I said that I used to be?"

He mocked shock and hurt before composing himself again "No but I do want to know how and why we lost a fan"

"Well...I do love your music, and I think you're incredibly talented to write songs like that, trust me I write songs sometimes..."

"You write songs?" he interrupted me looking interested

"Yeah but they aren't very good" he was about to open his mouth to say something but I cut him off "Anyway as I was saying... I love your music and hell I've been to a couple of your gigs with my roommate Caitlyn but I just don't like..."

"Shane?"

I nodded "Ever since he hit that drama queen phase it kind of put me off, it doesn't mean I don't love your music I just don't like the overall attitude of the band"

Nate sighed, I looked at him cautiously expecting him to be pissed at me but he wasn't he was smiling "Don't think we haven't noticed it as well...I don't know what's gotten into him recently, he used to be nice, used to be my brother but now he's like a stranger and I hate it"

"Do you think he'll snap out of it our change?" I asked

Nate shrugged "I don't know...but I think there's one person who has the power to do it though"

"And who's that?"

"You"

* * *

**So there you go, the second chapter done and dusted, not very exciting but I'm building the foundations for this story. Upcoming chapters are going to be good, I've got such a brilliant idea for this fic, so I hope you stay tuned. Wow that was a seriously long chapter in my books! over 4200 words! WOOOO!**

**I will update again in a couple of days, 10 reviews needed before I update**

**Thanks! AND REVIEW!!!! only if its one word! it means the world to me! and is also helping me decide if i want to take creative writing in college**


	3. Chapter 3

**Right, so I'm going to fail my exams. And why? Because I'm updating instead of revising. I think I'll actually have an all nighter to make up for it! Lol! Can I just say how amazed I am by the response to this story. In the space of two chapters I've had 38 reviews, 12 favourites, and 33 alerts not to mention how many of you have favourite me as an author. It makes me incredibly happy! So keep it up!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing besides my stories and my personal possessions. I'm sorry for the typo's which people point out, I write these chapters at 10pm at night and I'm tired and too lazy to proof read.**

**38 reviews now...55 before i update. THANKS !!! :)**

* * *

Me? How on earth could I possibly change someone like Shane Grey, Shane Grey the egotistical pop star who within one day of working for him purposely pours coffee down me for no good reason. Maybe I murdered him in a past life, maybe I just come across as an intolerable person. I don't know, but whatever it is, it's confusing me beyond belief.

Nate returned me home little after midnight and I have to admit that I hadn't had that much fun with a person from the opposite sex for quite some time...well fun that didn't include my heart getting completely shattered and torn at the end of the night. Because as we all know, that's the pinacle of fun and amusement.

After he told me that I could be the apparent saviour to Connect 3's reputation I distanced myself from the conversation slightly, trying to get my head around it all, my job was to be their assistant, not to go on some crusade to turn Shane Grey into a saint. As much as I hate to admit it, I don't think he could change.

All I knew was I wasn't going to put up with that little shit for much longer. If he thinks he can go around treating people like shit an get away with it, he's in for one serious reality check.

Maybe I could help

Maybe, just maybe I could knock some sense into that diva.

I wouldn't hold your breath.

Because i'm certainly not holding mine

-

* * *

SHANE

"Err and where the hell have you been?" I asked, slightly irritated at the absence of my brother the past few hours. I needed someone to mock, he should be here when I need him.

He shrugged off his jacket, hanging it over the back of our sofa before sitting down opposite me "I went out to dinner with Mitchie, remember? You were there when you cruelly stated you wanted nothing to do with her"

Oh yeah "I didn't think you would _actually_ go"

"And why wouldn't I?" Nate asked slightly offended

"Because, it's her. An employee. A nobody." I emphasised the words employee and nobody to try and prove a point, of which I'm not entirely sure. Maybe that she was an insignificant human being...yeah thats it.

Nate scoffed and rolled his eyes at me "Shane, let me try and get something through that thick head of yours. Mitchie is going to be involved in practically every part of our lives for the foreseeable future and when we go on tour next month, she'll be with us 24/7. Unlike you I wanted to actually get to know her before I decided to pin her down as something. And guess what? She's lovely, she's by far the nicest person I've met in a long time and she treats me like an actual person, not some pop star."

I sat still in my seat, for once in my life actually listening to the words leaving Nate's mouth. Mitchie was nice? Pfftt. I don't think you call a threatening little bitch nice, unless we're in a world where everything's opposite

"Oh c'mon Nate who are you trying to kid? You've been practically singing praise about her since you've met her, anyone would think you had a crush on her..." I exclaimed sarcastically, causing Nate to look towards his feet a slight pink tint appearing on his cheeks

"Oh god" I muttered "You do don't you?"

"Err" he stuttered "Not so much as a crush...she's nice...y'know from what I know, and we have some things in common plus she's....hot."

There was no way on this earth I was going to let my idiot of a brother have any sort of romantic involvement with her. I scrunched up my face, in slight disbelief at these ludicrous compliments he was giving her "Dude, don't even go there. She works for us. Plus she's no good."

"And you determine that from what exactly?"

"I have my sources" I stated.

"And who's your sources Shane? You?" he shot back, his eyes narrowing slightly

"So what if it is, I don't like her, end of."

Nate stood up, looking at me straight in the eyes "I don't know what the hell your problem is with her but you better snap out of it. You're acting like a complete ass and I'm not going to just let another good personal assistant slip through our fingers because you have retarded social issues" And with that he left the room, entering his bedroom and slamming his door loudly behind him.

I do not have retarded social issues

I'm a socialite

I 'm Shane freaking Grey.

-

* * *

MITCHIE

Okay another day, another opportunity to show Connect three that i am up for the job, another day to avoid humiliation or verbal abuse from the middle Grey. Another day of wishful thinking.

Day 2 and I still wasn't sure if my job was entirely safe, nervousness erupting in the pit of my stomach. I had wisely decided on a navy blouse today, knowing that if Shane tried to pull his ingenious stunt again that I wouldn't be throwing away a $130 shirt.

I pulled up outside an unnamed building which my GPS had led me to, ready to sit in on my first Connect 3 photo shoot. I wasn't expected to do anything besides by stand and maybe organise future shooting opportunities with the photographer, but it beat sitting in an office in front of a computer like I had imagined I would be doing.

I walked up the flight of stairs, taking in several deep breaths, I was never good at meeting new people, and this was no exception, especially beautifully thin models who would be draped over the boys today.

I had managed to sit myself down at a table in the corner practically unnoticed whilst everyone was setting up and the boys getting made up for the camera. I pulled out my planner from my bag, flicking through the next few days assessing what we had planned and how we would fit all of them in to the hectic schedule. My eyes just stared at the pages filled with my illegible handwriting, trying to make sense of it all

Photo shoot...interview...premier....appearance...TV interview...magazine interview...charity function...Disney function...TV interview in Canada....

The list was endless as I finally realised that my life was going to become just as hectic. Bye bye social life, it was nice knowing you. See you when I'm dead.

I retrieved my iPod and its headphones from my bag, nothing got me working better than some Snow Patrol. I was just about to change to song to my all time favourite ' You could be happy' when the moment was interrupted.

"WHAT?!" I heard a voice shriek from the other side of the studio, belonging to the director of the photo shoot . My head shot around to see what all the commotion was about, silently praying Shane hadn't thrown another hissy fit, too see the director storming towards me, determination spread across his face.

Oh god had I messed something up?

Surely I couldn't have, I had checked everything a million and one times.

"You" she stated, grabbing my wrist forcefully as she dragged me back down the path he had just taken back towards the set. I remained silent not quite sure whether I had done something wrong or not.

I was pulled towards the photographer- a well groomed, silver haired man in his late 30's where I was abruptly let go of. "What about her?" the director asked, her voice softer that a couple of minutes previous.

What about me? I watched with slight hesitation as he gave me the once over, causing me to squirm uncomfortably.

He nodded "She's got the figure, we can do something with the hair..." What's wrong with my hair? Why are we talking about my figure and my hair?! "And with a pair of heels...oh disaster averted" the photographer breathed out a sigh of relief. God was I really dump or is there something someone's not telling me?

"Err can someone tell me what the hell's going on?" I asked curiously, looking back and forth between the two people

"We're a model down" the photographer stated matter of factly "Something about not eating... and collapsing" I nodded still not getting where this was leading to

"And this involves me because..."

"You're going to replace her"

My mouth fell open in shock. No way. No way was I going to pose like a complete fool in front of cameras. "I don't think that's a good idea..." I protested pathetically, i couldnt do this. Me posing in front of a camera? No.

"Nonsense, now go, hurry!" I was shooed away hastily, being pushed into room which I could only presume if where my torture begins.

I was forced down into a chair as swarms of people ran over to asses me, causing me to drop my planner and bag to the floor. I was never one to fuss over my appearance unnecessarily, nor was I a fan of being mauled by complete strangers.

"Hmmm" one of them shifted their weight onto one foot as she looked at me deep in thought "We'll need to sort out those bangs...and cut a fringe in"

"Definitely apply some blusher to that pasty face of hers" another piped up

"Ohh and highlights" a third spoke.

Nice. Nothing like being insulted.

I tried several times to protest, to jump out of the chair and run for dear life but before I could I was attacked by various brushes and applicators not to mention a pair of scissors trimming my hair. I inwardly cursed to myself wishing I had never woken up this morning, what would I be in this photo shoot? What was the theme? Oh god...I'm not dressing as some cheap slapper.

I tried to pass the time, thinking of all the possible ways I could humiliate Shane without losing my job...accidently pull down his trousers at a press conference...leak some bad habits to oceanup...

"Ha oh no they haven't!" a voice shot in disbelief, causing me to snap open my eyes and look at the reflection in the mirror

"Don't Nate" I whined "This is not how I saw my day going"

He sat down in the empty seat beside me, already groomed and dressed for the shoot. I couldn't help but steal a quick glance at him, mentally taking note at how good he looked in a simple pair of grey dress trousers and a light blue shirt. God blessed him, if not all three of the brothers, with heart shattering good looks.

"So last time I checked you were our personal assistant, now you're a model...sudden career change?" he trailed off, seeming confused as to why I'm getting spruced up.

"Apparently their a model down for one of you"

Nate raised his eyebrow before bursting out in a small fit of laughter

"What?" I asked genuinely confused, what was so funny...is me being a 'model' for the day that hilarious?

"Umm, let's just say that mine and Jason's model's are all present."

I felt the colour drain from my face. No.

No. no. no.

"Oh no" I muttered, as I felt a brush come in contact with my left cheek "please don't tell me that I'm Shane's 'model'" Anything but that. I'll cut my arm off, feed it to the poor, i'll jump of a multi story car park... c'mon give me a break!

Nate pursed his lips shut before giving me a small nod

'Fuck' I mouthed.

"All done!" a blonde makeup artist announced, causing my gaze to return to the mirror...woah. Is that me?

I stared at the mirror wide eyed, surely this isn't plain old 18 year old Mitchie Torres, small town girl from Wyckoff New Jersey?

It was amazing how some make-up a few highlights and a fringe could turn me into a completely different person...and I liked it. I didn't look plain or dull I looked healthy and may I say reasonably attractive

"Wow Mitch, you look amazing" Nate complimented me, the second compliment he had given me regarding my appearance in as many days

"Thanks" I muttered, tearing my eyes away from the mirror. A guy approached me holding a gold dress with matching heels

"Here darling, put these on and you'll be all set." He leaned closer to whisper in my ear "You look far better than that skinny bitch who collapsed" I nodded not knowing quite what to say to the statement and walked to the small room adjoining and got changed. Admittedly the dress was a little short, but who was I to complain? Maybe it will give that arrogant asshole Shane something to drool over for a few seconds.

I stepped out of the dressing room and did a twirl for Nate and the makeup artists trying to avoid my dress from flying up, revealing my not so modest underwear

"Ready for your first photo shoot Miss Torres?" Nate asked , his lips curved into a smile

I nodded "As ready as I'll ever be" Here goes nothing.

-

* * *

SHANE

I heard the door open, finally we could get this show on the road. I watched as Nate appeared followed by who I presume is my model, which I had yet to meet. I took a quick glance at her, man she was hot, definitely a 9/10, of what I could see of her that is. She kept her focus towards the floor,hiding her face. But my god her body was smoking.

Was she shy? A shy model? Nah.

Oh I know, she's a fan, she loves me. Obvious. Should have known.

I was about to look away when I saw her lift her head from the corner of my eye, her gaze automatically locking with mine

"NO WAY! NO FUCKING WAY" I exclaimed loudly.

"Not the reaction I was expecting Shane, but at least I'm not being ignored" she replied...her...Mitchie. I quickly gave her the once over, taking in her new appearance. A pair of gold heels giving me the illusion that her legs went on for miles. The short gold cocktail dress, hugging her figure to near enough perfection.

And her hair...since when did she have a fringe? And...Highlights?

What the fuck.

She wasn't supposed to look like this. My bitch of a personal assistant wasn't supposed to look hot.

Sexy and feisty?

Dangerous combination.

I quickly adverted my eyes, not wanting to give her the impression that I was staring at her, because I wasn't I was just making an...Observation, yeah an observation.

"Right" the photographer announced, clapping his hands together "Right so Nate you're with Laura, Jason you are with Sasha and Shane you're with Michelle" we all shifted around the set, now standing next to our designated models, I could practically hear Mitchie's heart race. Oh she was nervous.

How sweet.

"Okay so we all know the theme of this shoot is a formal outing...like a ball or something, so you'll be dancing, socialising...all the things you usually do at a party, pg-13 preferably"

I nodded, photo shoots were always easy for me, I mean why would it be difficult when you're as naturally gorgeous as I am.

We watched wordlessly as Nate and Jason did their individual shoots with their models, dreading that mine was next, how on earth was I supposed to act happy around a intolerable person like her? I mean I know I'm a good actor, but this is seriously pushing my skills to the limit.

Jason finished his last frame as the photographer called me and Mitchie up, I could tell by the uneasy expression on her face that she wasn't looking forward to this

"Right Michelle, I know this is all new to you but just act natural, a few shots of you together smiling, a couple talking, then some dancing and then that should be enough to work with" the photographer shot her a sincere smile, causing her expression to soften ever so slightly.

I stood in front of her and smiled, wrapping one arm around her waist as lightly as possible, as she shot me a smile back, whether it was fake or not , I don't know, but it made a nice change from the frown she usually wore.

It was a shocking surprise to me at how quickly she loosened up and got into the mood of the shoot, anyone would have thought she had done this before...she was good, but I wasn't going to let her out shine me, I'm the star here not her.

We moved on to a couple of frames where we were asked to talk, what the hell would I say to her that would make her smile ' I hate you?' or 'can we just terminate your job right now?'

No?

So I decided on the best compliment I could muster up "You don't look like such a boring troll in that dress" Pretty impressive, round of applause

She smiled widely "if we didn't have to smile right now, I'd be kicking you in the groin." she said through gritted teeth

Pleasant.

"Okay guys, I want one final shot of you two in some sort of embrace looking into each other's eyes"

I rolled my eyes and nodded as she did the same. She took a step towards me, closing the distance between us before throwing her arms around my neck. I wrapped my arms around her waist as we inched closer, lowering my head to meet her gaze. Our eyes looked as the moment seemed to last unnaturally long. She smiled, but this time the smile was different, it didn't make me want to roll my eyes or slap her face, but it did cause me to feel something else.

Err... something wasn't right.

Why was my stomach feeling all of a sudden uneasy?

Maybe it's something I ate, that's the only logical reason

Right?

* * *

**There you go my dear friends, chapter three completed! Did you like it? Please tell me what you think, I know I ask for reviews but they mean so much to me and they only take a couple of seconds out of your lives to do. If you have any stories you want me to read and review just tell me in a review and I'll check them out.**

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	4. Chapter 4

**Okay so I'm really sorry I haven't updated in ages, I'm in the middle of my exams and I don't want to prevent myself from passing by updating, as much as I love you guys, my education comes first and the only reason I'm updating now is that I feel fairly confident with what I have tomorrow. So please read and review, cheer me up because I pretty much feel that I'm going to fail all my exams and live a life of being a loser.**

**So here you go, enjoy and don't forget to review!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, I wish I owned Joe, did you see him in InStyle...holy Jesus. Is all I can say. sorry for the typo's its 11:35pm and i'm tired. therefore no proof read lol.**

* * *

The next week or so flew by in an instant as I finally got to grips of what was expected in the day of Connect 3's personal assistant. And that was three things;

Organising three teenage boys' lives from what they are having for breakfast to when they are scheduled to speak to their mothers

Assure that my employer's are not too stressed our yet making the most of their potential

And of course, last but by no means least

Putting up with Shane Grey's temper tantrums.

Who wouldn't love that?

I mean honestly, I live for the mornings where I wake up ready to face another 10 hour day of Shane whining about how his flat ironed hair needs to be flatter or how he's surprised that how good looking he is that day.

Oh sorry, did I come across sarcastic? Good.

Although on a brighter note, I loved Nate and Jason, not in a 'have my babies, I'm a twelve year old fan' or a ' oh my god I'm so you love with them' way but a 'they are the most amazing people I've ever met' kind of way. They didn't make me feel like an employee, someone lower in the social ladder, but an equal, they talked to me on the same level, and it was safe to say that we were quickly becoming friends.

But if I had to pick a favourite it would be Nate. Hands down. And no before you ask, I'm not going to- in Caitlyn's words- pull a grey. It was merely because for the first time in a long time, I've been able to feel comfortable around a guy, without feeling afraid that I would be left in the gutter with a broken heart.

We had hung out practically every night after I was officially clocked off of work, whether it was at the nearest dinner talking about how I'm going to handle the upcoming tour, or going back to mine and watching re-runs of Will& Grace whilst I listened to his never ending stories about his family- like we were right now.

But that really doesn't mean anything. No matter how much we had got to know each other , I was still after all a closed book, my barrier being my sarcastic tendencies and my hard exterior, and I wasn't going to let that down any time soon.

"So tell me Miss Torres, if you could be anything in the entire world what would it be? I mean is there any where you see yourself ten years down the line?" he brought his legs up on the sofa and tucked them underneath him. I pursed my lips shut for a second as I thought about my answer, shifting myself slightly so I was facing him before slumping back into the sofa.

"Music producer. Always have been, I guess. Ever since I was like 11 I'd write songs and make the melodies up for them. I've always used lyrics as a way of expressing myself, when I couldn't vocalise my emotions and troubles to people I would create a song, I found it easier than telling someone and at the same time it was something that other people could relate too, reassuring me that I wasn't the only one experiencing such turmoil... And then there's the machinery, how a click of a button or the push of a switch can completely change the sound of a song and how a good song can build the foundations on creating some one else's dream." I stopped my rambling, breaking out of my current mindset, imagining myself sitting in a recording studio whilst the world's next musical sensation sung my song to a tune I had created and the sense of pride I'd be feeling.

I looked up at him to see a grin spread across his face as his eyes burned into mine "wow...you're deeper than I thought"

I shrugged "It's always been a dream of mine, but it's just that. A dream."

"No!" Nate exclaimed "don't say that. Mitchie anything is achievable if you want it enough, and by what you've just told me, you want it bad. You just need the opportunity."

I rolled my eyes, Hollywood was a hard place to break, you needed to be special if you stood any chance of being given the time of day, and I was nothing special, I was boring old Mitchie Torres. "An opportunity that will never occur" I replied in a saddened voice

"Oh but it just has" he stated, causing me to give him a confused look

"What?"

"I'll make you a deal, you write a song that we could use for the opening number to the tour and I'll let you produce it and everything"

My eyes widened as my jaw fell open and hit the floor "Nate...are you serious?"

He nodded "as a heart attack...after all they don't call me the serious member of the band for nothing"

"Oh my god" I muttered under my breath in utter disbelief "I don't know what to say..."

"Well yes would be a great start" he replied smugly, causing me to once again roll my eyes at him

"Duh. Yes! But what will the others say? Oh god what would Mr Mariah Carey say? Oh sorry Nate but I'm not having the spawn of Satin ruin a song of mine with his whiny voice"

Nate stifled out a laugh at my sudden change of heart "You know, he's very misunderstood, he can be deep himself sometimes" he protested slightly, after all they were brothers, he had to defend his honour even if he was an utter jackass

I was about to reply with a witty comment when Nate's phone went off, his eyes snapped down towards the screen before letting out a sigh "Shane" he said simply. I nodded indicating that he should take the call, after all God knows what sort of reaction Shane would have if he rejected it.

"What do you want Shane?...I'm out...no I'm not coming home just so you can mock me...where am I? I'm at Mitchie's...yes Mitchie, personal assistant Mitchie...I don't think that's a good idea...hold on let me ask." Nate pulled the phone away from his ear and covered the mouth piece with his hand

"He wants to come over and hang out, he promises he won't be a jerk" I scoffed, Shane not being a jerk? That's like the pope converting to Hinduism.

I hesitated with my answer for a second, not wanting Shane to ruin which was turning out to be another fun night, but then again if I refused I was only opening myself up to more potential piss taking and verbal abuse tomorrow.

I sighed in defeat "Fine, but one false move and he's gone."

Nate nodded and proceeded to tell him my address, saying that he was going to be here in a matter of minutes. I better make the most of them, as there is a possible chance that I could be locked up for murder by the time the night is over.

"You can go let him in" I grumbled to Nate as I heard a knock at the door, I didn't want him here so it was only fair that I remained in my comfortable position on the sofa.

I watched through narrowed eyes as Shane entered the living room looking entirely different than any other time I had seen him, in person and on TV. I raised an eyebrow as I took in his appearance, his usually straight hair, resting in small curls on his head and he had replaced the sprayed on skinny jeans for a pair of loose denim trousers accompanied by a plain white tee. I had never seen him so...casual and ungroomed before, and as much as it pained me to admit it, it was attractive

Hell it was hot.

But he'll never know that I think that.

And I'll be damn sure never to vocalise it whilst I'm in possession of my sanity.

"Hi" I choked out, trying to sound as pleasant as possible, my emotions currently battling between hatred and physical attraction. Eurgh I hated that the Grey's had to be good looking, it was dangerous.

"Hi" he mumbled in response before sitting himself opposite me and Nate on a chair "So what are you guys doing?" he asked sounding genuinely interested, Shane Grey was asking a question that did evolve around himself? SHOCKER.

"Talking" Nate answered "Mitchie wants to be a music producer, I'm letting her write a song for us to sing on tour"

I watched intensely at Shane's reaction, expecting him to explode or throw a hissy fit, instead, he simply slumped back into the chair and nodded. Was that it?

No OH HELL NO? or ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Maybe venom didn't leave the middle Grey's mouth 24/7 maybe Nate was right, maybe he had the ability of being nice.

I let Shane choose the next movie, in all honesty not caring, I had seen every film in my DVD collection a million times that I could practically recite each film word by word. I was surprised at his choice- Click. I didn't put Shane down as a Disney, bittersweet film lover...nor did I see him as a fan oh Adam Sandler

"Not a bad choice Grey" I commented

He shrugged "I love Adam Sandler, he's a comical genius"

I nodded in agreement...hold on do me and Shane have something in common?

"Same"

The conversation ended as the film started, I loved this film and no matter how many times I saw it, I always cried at the end, how couldn't you? You would need a heart of stone. I looked towards Nate beside me who had now drifted off to sleep, before looking at Shane whose guys were glistening slightly...Oh god, was Shane crying at Click?

Oh this was good.

I was turned my head back towards the film, not wanting to miss the ending before I heard Shane's voice pipe up over the TV.

"Oi you, make me a coffee" I turned my head slowly away from the TV screen and looked at him

"Err excuse me?" I asked, obviously confused at what he had just said

"I said make me a coffee" his tone was blunt and harsh. I eat my words, Shane was still that arrogant asswipe.

"No" I protested, defending myself

"Err if you hadn't forgotten, me boss, you employee, therefore me king and you common slave" I remained silent, not knowing how on earth to react to such an arrogant comment "Didn't you hear me, bitchie, coffee. Now."

"No" I repeated "I'm not working"

"Well as your _boss_ I tell you when and when you cannot work, got it? I pay you" I jumped off of the chair, grabbing Shane by his collar, also bringing him to a standing position

"You're unbelievable!" I scoffed loudly, my voice raised to maximum volume, I don't care if it was approaching midnight, nor did I care that I had most probably woken Nate up, how dare he talk to me like that

"What?" he mocked innocence

"You think you're so fucking brilliant, that the world revolves around you but let me tell you something. It doesn't. Nor will it ever. I don't care if you're a famous pop star, I couldn't care less if you're a millionaire... you have no right to talk to me like that and I'm not going to just sit around and let you demean me to my face. I'm a human being too you know, I deserve respect as much as the next person, but you obviously know nothing about respect or how to be nice towards someone, I don't even think you have the ability to be nice. I hope that when you get your comeuppance, because mark my word you will, you realise how much of a complete jerk you've been to everyone and that you are made to feel as small and insignificant as you have made me and so many others feel."

I took several deep breaths, trying my best to calm myself down during my rant. I shot at quick glance towards the sofa to see that Nate was now wide awake and staring at me in utter shock

"So if you haven't got the hint, you can stuff your fucking job if you want and your self righteous attitude and get the hell out of my house!"I could feel my cheeks burn with anger as I glared at him, his face displaying utter shock, he was speechless.

I let out a bitter laugh, I had made the Shane Grey speechless

"Get out" I repeated, venom dripping from my voice

He hung his head low and let himself out of my apartment without a word, leaving me in my apartment with an atmosphere that you could cut with a knife.

I stood in complete silence for a few minutes, processing what had just happened in my head..Oh god.

I put my head in my hands as I heard footsteps approaching me

"I'm fired right?" I mumbled through my hands, not having the guts to face Nate

"I don't know" he stated truthfully "Do you still want to work for us?"

I raised my head slightly "No...Yes..."I sighed as I threw my hands in the air "I can't stand him Nate, I don't think I've ever felt so offended in my life, my blood is literally boiling"

"So what you're saying is that you won't work for us if Shane is still an ass?"

I nodded "yeah, so that either means Shane has to miraculously change, or that I only work for you and Jason, otherwise I'm out"

"Well it looks like from his moment on Mitchie Torres you are now personal assistant to Nate and Jason Grey...we can work on the personality transplant some other time."

There you have it, one argument and a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Only one word comes to mind right now...relief.

-

* * *

I sulked all the way home, who the hell did she think she was, what in god's name gave her the right to openly have a go at me for nothing...well okay maybe what I said was slightly out of line but she deserved it after everything she had said to me.

I entered the house, slamming ever door as hard as I could in frustration before entering my room and turning my stereo full blast. I threw myself back onto my bed, my mind racing with various thoughts, all about Mitchie, about what she said, about what she didn't have to say...

I had listened to a good three or four songs before I heard the door slam, signalling Nate was home

"CONGRATULATIONS SHANE, YOU HAVE WELL AND TRULY PROVED YOURSELF AS THE BIGGEST BASTARD IN THE WORLD" Nate screamed as he entered my bedroom. I looked up at him with a bored expression, I didn't deem it necessary to supply him with an answer

"Oh fuck you Shane... you really are a asshole. What gives you the right to belittle her like that? What gives you the right to treat her with anything less than repect? Ever since she walked into the office you've given her nothing but grief, determined to get her to quit...well congratulations she is no longer your PA."

No longer my PA? "What?" I asked confused with his last sentence

"She has quit from having anything to do with you, so you can find your own assistant, have fun with that, because I'm pretty sure no one is that desperate to work with a discriminative fuck up like you." And with that Nate left the room

She was no longer my PA? Ever since day one that's all I had wanted, so tell me why, why on earth was I feeling so crushed at this moment in time...

I hated her

I don't care what she does or what she thinks of me

I'm glad that she has nothing to do with me. Glad I tell you...

Lie's Shane. Why do you always have to lie?

Fuck, I don't like this....what is this emotion that I'm feeling...is this what guilt feels like?

* * *

**There you go, oh Shane is a loser, who is finally feeling some sort of human emotion, i love Nate, dont you? i may make this into a love triangle, i love love triangles! tell me what you think and please review, I have 54 reviews at the moment , I'd love 70 before I update, that's 16 reviews, I know you can do that!**

**Question: do you like this fic so far!**

**Wish me luck in my exams and see you all soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello there my lovely people how are you on this glorious Friday evening? Me? I'm actually rather good, half way through my exams! So as a Friday treat I've decided to update. So I really want to thank you all for the amazing response to this story, I mean c'mon 71 reviews, 1C2, 18 favourites, 53 alerts and not to mention the numerous people who have added me as a favourite author. **

**Personally I think I'm a rubbish writer, I write this for a hobby, not because I have any talent in it lol. But you guys obviously see something in me!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but a nice starbucks coffee sitting next to me which I made my dad drive and get me- ha ha . sorry for typo's its 00:11 and i'm very tired, so really its not friday anymore its saturday lol.**

**-**

* * *

SHANE

Have you ever heard that saying 'you always want what you can't have'? Yes? Well that's exactly how I'm feeling, and you have no idea how much it's pained me to admit that to myself. It had been three days since Mitchie resigned any connections with me and it's as if I'm becoming ever more distant to my brothers.

Like now for instance, we're in the recording studio, supposedly recording a last minute bonus track for our deluxe edition album, but instead I was here in the corner of the room with nothing but a battered iPod and a notepad to keep me company, whilst Nate and Jason were hysterically laughing over something Mitchie had said.

It probably wasn't even that funny. They're only laughing because she's hot and they have a thing for her.

But I couldn't help but want to be a part of it.

I'm Shane Grey for heaven's sake, I should be drawing in all the attention, I shouldn't be...ignored.

Mitchie hadn't said a word to me, hadn't cracked a smile or even glared at me, she had simply, ignored my utter existence, as if I wasn't alive. And even if i kind of hated her, even though i didnt, it still hurt.

Nate had barely muttered a sentence to me in the last 72 hours after storming out my room declaring that I no longer had any ties with Mitchie, and refused to be in the same room with me unless completely necessary

And then there was Jason...Switzerland. Trying his best to stay on the fence, and not be influenced by either side, but he was, he knew it, they knew it...I knew it.

But why?

Is what I really said to her _that _bad?

Is what she said to me really all true? Am I egotistical and utterly intolerable? I know I can get a little hot headed and, well sometimes I do like to admire my own reflection, but had I really turned into someone my parents barely recognise?

Someone whose brothers are ashamed of?

Some who has turned so many fans and people away because of my attitude?

Are all the things in the magazines, news papers, and blog's all true?

They couldn't all be lies? I know they couldn't be all lie's... I really was an ass.

And for some unknown reason, I had had enough of it.

I looked towards the trio once more, now completely engrossed in something Mitchie was writing, Nate constantly shouting praise about her way with words whilst Jason just sat there with a goofy smile spread across his face. I felt my heart sink as they burst out in laughter once more, obvious that I was obviously an invisible fourth wheel. I pulled my hat down further, attempting to cover the apparent hurt look evident in my eyes, before putting my notepad and iPod in my bag and standing up.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and let out a heavy sigh, momentarily causing Mitchie to rip her gaze from her new found best friends to my face, her eyebrows slightly raised in confusion. Instead of rolling my eyes or shooting out a sarcastic comment I simply lowered my head and walked towards the door

"Bye guys see you later" I managed to choke out in a small voice

I began to walk out the exit until Nate's voice caused me to stop in the doorway, my back to him "where you going man?"

Where was I going? I had no idea...away somewhere. "Err I've just got to go and do some thinking," and with that I left, not waiting for a reply or scoff from someone.

Somehow I needed to evaluate my life and reassess everything I was so certain of, this wasn't me. I never used to be like this, I just don't understand why it's taken a 18 year old girl to finally make me realise.

This wasn't the Shane Grey, born and raised in New Jersey, who loved music and his family

This was some arrogant excuse for Shane Grey thinking he had every given right to be worshiped by anyone and everyone.

Not anymore

Someway, somehow, I was going to change. And quick. before i lose everyone thats ever mattered to me

-

* * *

MITCHIE

The three of us watched with slightly wide eyes as Shane left the room. Once he was safely down the corridor and most probably half way to his car, Nate turned his head slowly towards me and Jason

"Thinking?" Nate said, repeating Shane's last words in utter disbelief. "Shane doesn't do thinking" he stated "Shane gets angry and throws a tantrum, either that or he sleeps"

I took Nate's confusion as a sign that Shane rarely if ever acted the way he just did...saddened maybe even slightly...remorseful?

I shook my head to myself, no of course it couldn't be that, Shane didn't have the ability to feel those emotions, he only specialised in three emotions

Egotistical

Arrogant

Selfish

All meaning the same thing, but all so very different when expressed using Shane's colourful language and immature actions. So why was he any different now?

"Do you think there's something wrong?" Jason asked obviously concerned, he was too nice for his own good, something I absolutely love about him

Nate and I both shrugged "I don't know" he replied honestly

"Maybe it's because we've ignored him" Jason suggested

We hadn't ignored him...well I haven't, I've just done my job, tend to Nate's and Jason's needs, that doesn't involve Shane so therefore I don't need to have anything to do with him, especially after what he said to me...

"No" i shook my head "we haven't"

"But we kind of have Mitchie, me and Jason haven't spoken to him really since the big argument"

"What? Why?" I asked genuinely confused, why would they not talk to their own brother

"Because he was an ass and completely out of line and I personally couldn't put up with his stupid attitude problems any longer."

I felt a pang of guilt run through me, I had caused the Grey brothers to go on a conversational strike? And Shane was actually upset about it? I contemplated trying to change the subject, not wanting to dwell on Shane any longer, the past couple days had been nice, carefree and enjoyable and in the click of the fingers he manages to turn the mood up on its head.

"How about we head back to mine and get some movies and Chinese?" I suggested, taking into consideration that it was almost 6 in the evening

"Nah, let's go back to ours, we invade your apartment too much, I'm pretty sure Caitlyn hates us by now"

Oh if only he knew, true be told Caitlyn's stupid schoolgirl crush on a certain Nathaniel Grey has only progressed and worsened since I've got this job. She practically has her face buried in the couch after he's been there...creepy?

Extremely.

But something tells me, that the youngest Grey has an interest in my roommate as well.

I agreed curiosity on what conditions the Connect 3 boys live in. Would their apartment be like an episode of Cribs?

Would they live in a dump?

Would it be ridiculously clean?

Would there be a shrine of Shane?

As I entered the Grey's house it wasn't at all that I had expected, I looked around at the spacious surroundings, music records, posters and awards scattered everywhere. I guess what they said was right- music really was their life.

I wordlessly followed them down the hall and through the house as they gave me a grand tour of their two story apartment, looking in awe at the two Grammys I passed amongst numerous MTV music awards,

"No way!" I exclaimed as they stopped outside a room with windows at the entrance "a recording studio?"

Nate nodded "yep"

"Hold on" i put my hand up "If you have your own recording studio then why do go to the one at Hollywood records?"

"Personal use. This is where we write all our songs...surprisingly most of the songs for the new album were all written by Shane"

My mouth fell open a little, I had heard the new album and I was blown away by the emotions and sincerity in some of the lyrics, assuming that Nate would have wrote them, after all that boy was wise for his years. But Shane? Maybe the guy was misunderstood

I took step into the studio, not bothering to seek permission, as I eyed up the producing machinery, it was as if I was in a candy shop

"Do you want a go?" Jason asked

I whipped my head around "What? Like on these" I pointed at the mixers. He nodded

"Yeah, I'll show you the basics whilst Nate sings and we can mess up his voice"

I grinned at them excitedly before leaping into a comfy leather chair. We spent the next few hours mixing and creating a cd of mine and Nate's voices of classic songs that we feel don't get enough recognition, for instance Nate performed a beautiful rendition of Avril Lavinge's Skater Boy whilst I decided on a moving cover of Enrique Inglesias' Hero. And now more than ever was I sure of what I wanted to do with my life.

"I don't think I've ever had that much fun" I managed to choke out, my voice now croaky from belting out countless songs

"Oh me too" Nate exclaimed "Although I'm shattered...what time is it?" I shrugged; Nate was the one with the watch

Nate glanced at his watched before his eyes widened, the atmosphere of the room changing in an instant

"What?" I asked concerned

"Its 2 am and Shane's not home yet and Shane NEVER stays out without calling or at least texting" Nate placed his phone to his ear, calling who I could only presume to be Shane

"It's off, he's turned his fucking phone off" Nate's voice became hysterical "What if something's happened to him?...what if he's dead in a gutter somewhere?"

"I'm sure he's fine Nate" I tried to reassure him, whilst Jason looked equally as panicked

"No you don't get it"

Don't get what?

"Shane doesn't do late nights out on his own" Jason continued

"What? I don't get what you mean"

"Something happened to Shane when he was 14 one night, and he can't be out without someone or being in frequent communication with a person too late otherwise he totally freaks"

Oh. shit.

* * *

**Finally its time to find out why Mitchie is a closed book and why Shane's an ass!!! Oh where is Shane? What's he doing? Will he change? Will Mitchie give him another chance? What happened to him...Review to find out! I would LOVE TO GET TO 90 BEFORE I UPDATE but that's 19! Do it and ill post an extra long chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Well you did it! You got me to 90, so I'm updating, I know I really should be updating my other stories, but I've got this chapter literally written on paper and I couldn't wait any longer. Once again thanks I now have 90 reviews, 1C2, 26 favourites and 60 alerts. Pretty immense!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...yet. You wait. I'll rule the world. Apologie's for typo's.**

* * *

I sat back in the chair, utterly confused, numerous questions and thoughts running through my mind.

Why couldn't Shane be on his own at night? Better yet what happened to him?

"What happened?" I asked, my voice quiet and full of concern, something completely unusual when it's Shane related.

Nate shot a look at Jason, obviously seeking permission on whether or not to tell me. Jason simply nodded, his expressionless face, causing my stomach to turn uneasily. Nate let out a heavy sigh before grabbing a chair and sitting opposite me.

"Before I say anything, you've got to promise that you won't tell anyone about this, you're the only one outside the family that knows and the only reason why I'm telling you this is because you're our friend and we think you could help him."

"I promise" I reassured. I couldn't help but feel slightly elated that I was considered a good enough friend to the Grey's that they would share their family secrets with me. Nate must have noticed the sincerity of my voice as he opened his mouth to continue speaking.

"All through Shane's school life he was never the most popular kid in the class, actually he only had one friend- Kyle. Everyone deemed them as the losers...the musical nerds, just because they shared a love in music. They were detached from everyone else, they never hit it off with girls, and no guys ever took interest in becoming their mates...they just involuntarily stayed in their little musical bubble. That was until he was 14. See there was this talent competition at our school which everyone who's anyone entered, to show off and flaunt what talent/ little talent they had, and little did everyone know that a music scout was there. Anyway, Shane and Kyle convinced me and Jase to form a band together, and to cut a long story short...we won. Unanimously we won and were offered a music contract there and then at the ages of 12-16. We were assured that Connect 4, yeah you heard right connect 4 would become overnight sensations, that's when everything changed"

Nate took a deep breath as I continued to process the endless information going through my head, not seeing how this has anything to do with Shane's fear for the night.

"Then Shane and Kyle weren't so unpopular, to be honest it was quite the opposite, they became to talk of the school, girls would throw themselves at them, guys would all of a sudden act all chummy with them, and they didn't know how to react? Well what do you do when you go from an invisible nerd to an upcoming famous pop star? It's overwhelming. For the majority of the people, Shane and Kyle would just write them off, not wanting anything to do with them, except for a certain group of guys. They were musically inclined as well but never shared the passion that my brother did, they were only in it for girls and fame. They befriended Shane and Kyle, taking them under their wings, showing them the ropes of how to be a 'cool kid'. Shane and Kyle's self esteem rocketed as the weeks passed, they thought that they were finally accepted and believed that it wasn't just down to the $500,000 record contract looming over them. How wrong they were. They broke up for summer vacation, no school for seven long weeks, and what better way to celebrate that? By going camping by St Michaels river, the guys went with the trio and everything went swimmingly" Nate grimaced at the word swimmingly

I knitted my eyebrows together, getting the impression that I was about to find out what had happened

"Until the sunset, they were alone, no other campers or pedestrians were in sight, giving the guys the perfect opportunity to do what they wanted to do to Shane and Kyle. " Both Nate and Jason closed their eyes "They were jealous, repulsively jealous, so they showed it by beating the crap out of Shane and Kyle, they stood no chance against them. Shane and Kyle were weedy teenagers, these guys were jocks. But it didn't end there, apparently beating them to an inch of their lives wasn't good enough, they had to finish it off by...by...by dragging them to the side of the river and throwing them in."

My eyes widened in shock as I literally felt my heart stop

"S-Shane somehow managed to muster the strength to pull himself from under the water, even with numerous gashes, bruises and 4 broken ribs, he bobbed his head to the surface to see the guys laughing, but there was no sign of Kyle. He went back under; searching in the pitch black water for him, but the pain was becoming unbearable. He was about to give up when he grabbed hold of what could of only been his hand, gathering every ounce of energy left in his body to pull him out of the water. Shane couldn't comprehend what was going on as he dragged himself and Kyle to the shore that was until the laughter abruptly stopped. Shane looked at him, his face as white as a sheet, the only colour to it being that of blood. Shane knew that his friend was dead, but it didn't stop him trying to save him. One of the guys had the decency to call 911, but ran off straight after. They were cowards. Jealous cowards who were so envious of someone else being happy that they could kill someone. The paramedics arrived and clarified Shane's fear, he was gone. He had drowned. Shane blamed himself. He believed that if he hadn't of convinced us to enter the competition in the first place, that Kyle wouldn't be dead, and would still be with him now. He changed that night. Leaving the Shane that everyone had loved for nearly 15 years with Kyle, instead turning into the Shane you see today. He thought that being nice...good...a decent person got you nowhere in life, that it caused you pain. That the only way to be accepted was to join the bullies, to hide your emotions and take them out on others. Jason and I wanted to decline the record deal, after all our friend and band mate had just literally been murdered, how the hell could we continue without him? But Shane insisted that we should continue, to do it in Kyle's memory, that it's what he would have wanted. And I guess that's how Connect 4 went to Connect 3 since then; Shane can't be out alone at night without causing some sort of destruction or completely breaking down over what happened."

By the end of Nate's story I felt the tears run freely down my cheeks as both of the Grey's brothers' eyes were glistening. In all of the things I thought could possibly happen, I never imagined that. I couldn't help but feel guilty. I had written Shane off, completely inconsiderate to why he might of been acting the way he did, and now I knew, I felt awful.

"And now he's god knows where doing god knows what" Jason exclaimed, whilst I was still processing all the information.

"Nate give me your keys" I ordered, at a sudden realisation

"What?" he asked in disbelief, I had just listened to him pour his heart out over his brother and now I was demanding for his car keys.

"Key's Nate."

"Why?!"

I was quickly losing my temper, I needed his keys and I needed them now. "I think I know where Shane is, just give me the god damn keys!" I shouted, causing Nate to automatically throw his keys in my direction

"I'm coming with you" he said getting up off of his chair, that was until i pushed him down again.

"No!" I protested "I think I should go, just trust me on this one"

They both nodded as I ran out the house into Nate's expensive Mustang and drove to the place where I hope he was- the lake. I felt the tears continue to fall from my face the whole journey there, even if I had never experienced a death of a loved one, I felt crushed just hearing Shane's story.

I pulled up to the lake, the moon reflecting off of the water, the scene looking so serene, a scene which once held such tragedy and pain. I quietly got out of the car, and walked down the cobbled path, not caring that it was verging 3am and I could quite possibly be alone in the middle of a deserted lake. As I got closer to the water side I noticed a bench with a figure sitting there back facing me.

I took cautious steps forward as I tried to make out the figure, that was until my suspicions were confirmed as the moon illuminated the same hat Shane had been wearing earlier in the day. Trying my best not to startle him, I sat down on the bench, looking out to where his gaze was resting

"How did you know I'd be here" he said quietly, not taking his eyes off of the lake. I turned my head to get a look at him, his hair sticking out from under his cap, his eyes sunken from tiredness and his lips pursed together in a thin line. I was about to reply but he beat me to it "they told you didn't they?" he turned his head to meet my gaze, as I nodded

"I'm so sorry" I muttered

"Don't." He sighed "it wasn't your fault..."

"And it wasn't yours." I replied, placing my hand upon his as a sign of support.

His eyes narrowed slightly, but not in a malicious way, before lowering his gaze to where my hand was currently resting on his. "But it was" his voice was barely audible but full of insecurities. I felt my heart literally break; Shane was supposed to be this strong, confident guy not this vulnerable, distraught boy I saw beside me.

"Shane" I said forcefully, causing him to look me back in the eyes "_none _of it was your fault" I squeezed his hand tighter

"But-"

"No buts', what happened was an awful tragedy but it wasn't your fault, no one thinks it was, so stop beating yourself up about it okay?"

He didn't reply but just have me a slight nod, intertwining his fingers with mine, causing my heart to beat a bit faster...wait what? No, no. no.

"I just miss him, Mitch, he was my best friend, the only friend I've really had"

"I know you do Shane, but you've got other friends!" I said, trying not to sound insensitive, I didn't want to suggest that he should just forget Kyle's existence.

Shane scoffed slightly "I don't. People either want me as a fast track to z-list fame or I've just driven them away. I-I just feel lonely sometimes you know?"

I felt like crying again, I've never felt so bad for judging someone before. I just wanted to hug him.

"driven them away?"

"I can't let anyone in Mitchie. Last time I did, I got beaten to a pulp and my best friend died. And as much as I want to let someone in I can't, I don't want to be hurt again" he choked out, his voice dripping with emotion

"But I think you just did." I stated

"Did what?"

"Let someone in"

His eyes widened in realisation "I guess I did, but you hate me..."

"well lets change that, what do you say, friends?"

"I'd really like that" he admitted "friends" I smiled at him, as he returned it for the first time since I arrived

"Mitch?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about how I've treated you, it was uncalled for, forgive me?"

"forgiven...now c'mon let's get back you're younger brother, who by the way is too wise for his years, is freaking out at home" I got up off of the bench, my hand still intertwined in his as I pulled him up

"That's my brother."

* * *

**So there you go! VALID REASON FOR BEING AN ASS! I'm leaving Mitchie for a couple of chapter's time, I already know why she is a closed book and it's going to be good! So I hope you liked it! I'm at 90 reviews at the moment I'd love 105 by the time I review if not more! That would be incredible!**

**Question: what did you think of this chapter? Was Shane's thing too unrealistic or rubbish?**

**And i know it wasn't too long but i hope this chapter made up for the fact that its only 2,300 words long.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Well hello there! You got me to 111 reviews! Amazing. Next goal 130! I think you can do it! SOOOO I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SAID THAT THE LAST CHAPTER WAS GOOD, I MUST ADMIT I WAS PRETTY IMPRESSED WITH MYSELF, MERELY BECAUSE SHANE'S PROBLEM WAS TOTALLY IMPROVISED!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but my fic's and who knows maybe one day you'll own one of my stories...on your bookshelf.**

* * *

SHANE

When Mitchie found me at the river, I automatically assumed she knew, after all there was no way she could have guessed I would have been there unless Nate or Jason had filled her in on Kyle. I had managed to keep it my secret hiding place for the past four years, amazed that my brothers or my family hadn't figured it out.

Well maybe I'm not amazed that Jason didn't figure it out.

But Nate? Mr. Straight A's.... would have thought better.

The lake was the place where the change began, where I made the unspoken decision to harden up and block people out. I was doing it to protect myself, little did I know it would only cause pain to the people I cared most about. I wonder what Kyle would have said if he saw the way I was acting these days, would he frown? Be disgusted with my behaviour?

Would he recognise me?

Because I certainly don't recognise myself.

I was the lucky one, I had the supportive family, the rich upbringing, I had a life. Kyle didn't. And I had wasted the past four years of my existence being self centred, strangling myself by my own ego. So I went back to the place where it all started, with the intention of it being the place where it all ended.

So I sat, and sat, reliving the past 1461 days in my head, unwillingly dwelling on all the bad things I've done and said to everyone, every memory striking another chord as if a knife had been jabbed in my chest.

How I had treated Nate and Jason, using them as verbal punch bags.

How I had not bothered contacting my parents in god knows how long.

How I had turned away from my faith, something that used to be so important to me.

How I had managed to turn anyone and everyone against me with the venom that left my mouth.

I hated myself, I still do, even after all this time, those bullies still got to me, making me feel that I had to be one of them. But not anymore.

You know that saying 'what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger'? Well now it's about time for me to act strong, and finally lay those insecurities and bad tendencies to rest.

But now here I was, sitting in the passenger seat of Nate's mustang as Mitchie drove, humming a tune which I automatically recognised

"Connect 3 fan are we?" I asked, speaking for the first time since we entered the car.

She stole a quick glance at me, a small smile playing on her lips, even if it was after 4am. "I'm a closet connect 3 fan, if you tell anyone I'd have to kill you, especially that Shane Grey"

I chuckled to myself, amazed that a sarcastic comment wasn't on the tip of my tongue ready to verbally attack her.

"What no sarcastic comment?" she asked utterly astounded

"Nope" I replied, taking off my hat, my long hair falling in front of my eyes. That will be gone the first chance I get.

I was making a fresh start, turning over a new leaf...call it a October resolution. That meant a new me. New hair, new clothes...everything.

"So is what Nate said true?"

I knitted my eyebrows together in confusion, did she care to elaborate?

"What?" I said voicing my confusion

"The album. That you wrote all the songs"

We pulled up outside the apartment that I share with Nate and Jason, as she unbuckled herself and turned towards me, looking genuinely interested.

I shrugged, not seeing the big deal "Yeah"

Her eyes widened slightly "You know they're amazing. I mean like totally blowing anything that I've ever wrote out the water" she clamped her mouth shut after she finished her sentence as I something triggered something in my brain

"Oh yeah!" I exclaimed " You write songs, I've heard Nate bang on about them nonstop, apparently they're really good"

She shook her head violently "No they're not...actually their awful..."

I put a hand on her shoulder to stop her negative rambling "let me be the judge of that, maybe I could read over them some time, I could even help you with that song that Nate wants for the opening of the tour"

"Err" she hesitated "I-I- err...okay"

I smiled and nodded my head slightly "Great" I sighed heavily "right lets go and face the music, Nate's probably throwing a shit fit right about now"

She let out a small laugh as we exited the car, Mitchie giving the car a quick once over, making sure she hadn't scratched it or harmed it in any way, she knowing as well as I did, that if Nate's precious mustang had the slightest scratch to the paintwork her life wouldn't be worth living.

The pair of us silently entered the house, not wanting to wake anyone up if they had decided to give up staying awake...

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" okay maybe not then. I refrained from rolling my eyes at Nate as he stormed down the hallway to meet me at the door, I was about to answer until he cut me off again "YOU'VE BEEN GONE FOR 10 HOURS! 10 FREAKING HOURS WITH NOT SO MUCH AS A PHONE CALL! DO YOU REALISE HOW WORRIED I WAS?"

He sounded like my mom. "Sorry" I said, finally managing to get a word in edge ways.

"SORRY? SORRY? IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT TO SAY...SORRY?"

I looked down towards my feet, not knowing what else to say.

"Hold on." Nate's tone grew automatically softer, causing me to look at him in the eyes "You said sorry...you said sorry" disbelief evident in his voice. I shot a confused look at Mitchie as she just shrugged "You haven't said sorry in years"

Oh that must have be an exaggeration, I've said sorry tons of times, for instance that time...or that other time... Oh god. I hadn't. No wonder Nate's currently looking at me with an opened mouth.

I smiled sheepishly, feeling embarrassed that I was previously incapable of expressing my guilt with one simple word. But then again I was numb to the emotion.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked concerned, appearing from behind Nate.

"I'm fine" I said as cheerfully as possible before proceeding to yawn "Actually I'm pretty beat, I'm going to bed guys, thanks Mitchie"

I shot her a sincere smile as I hugged her, her body stiffened, her arms straight by her side. I pulled away and caught glimpse of her startled expression before heading up the stairs.

Once I reached the top and was out of sight I stood quietly, listening to the voices from down stairs

"What the hell..." Nate muttered

"I know he's been... civil since I found him, actually he's been nice, I don't know what the hell happened but I like this side of Shane" I couldn't help but smile slightly at Mitchie's comment, I didn't want her to hate me, and I didn't want to hate her. Even if she's not aware of it, she's my saving grace, and I'll make it up to her, mark my words.

-

* * *

MITCHIE

"Hold on does that mean you two are like...friends?"

I contemplated for a second, could I really be friends with Shane Grey? Did I want to be? Of course I did, I always had, until his egotistical ways had gotten involved. "Well hopefully that will be the outcome, as long as he doesn't wake up an ass"

Nate walked towards me and wrapped his arms around me, squeezing me tight "thank you" he whispered in my ear

"What for?"

"Bringing Shane back"

"Oh no worries, all I knew it would be at the lake..."

"No not that" he interrupted me "thanks for bringing Shane _back_"

I pulled away abruptly and shook my head "I haven't done anything"

"Oh but you have"

-

* * *

I woke up the following morning, aka 3 hours later, feeling more refreshed than I had been in a long time. I blinked a few times, adjusting to the light currently streaming through the window. I sat up slowly, as I familiarised myself with my surroundings...this wasn't my apartment...this wasn't my room...and this certainly wasn't my bed.

My bed was a broken mattress supported on a poor excuse of a bed frame.

I was about to question myself further until I heard a knock at the door, seconds later opening slowly to reveal Shane. Oh that's right, the memories of last night's events came flooding back.

"Sorry did I wake you?" he asked softly as he entered the room further holding a tray

"No not at all" I replied. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him, ever since I found out about his past my heart just went out to him.

As he got closer to me I noticed the contents on the tray "Breakfast?"

He nodded "seeming as you're a guest and everything, I thought you'd like breakfast in bed"

My eyes widened...oh my god was I still dreaming? I pinched myself, ouch. Nope I'm awake.

Okay who is this and what the hell have they done with Shane Grey?

"I didn't know what you'd like so I've made pancakes, toast, waffles and I've got some froot loops and then there's orange juice...coffee and a cup of tea"

I just continued to stare at him blankly "Thanks Shane"

He placed the tray down in front of me as he pulled a chair up beside me

"Did you make all of this?" I asked in shock pointing to the tray that was currently full to the brim with mouth watering food

"Yep!" he replied proudly

"But Shane there's tons here! You could feed the five thousand with all of this!" I protested, I know the guy had good intentions but honestly there was enough food here to feed me and Caitlyn for a week!

"I was hoping that you'd say that" and with that he grabbed the plate of toast off of my tray and took a big bite out of it "Mmm toast."

I couldn't help but laugh at his face as he ate the toast with a satisfied grin spread across his lips. I reverted my gaze, not wanting to look at his face any longer with the fear I might laugh so hard I'd regurgitate my food, that's when I noticed his current attire.

A grey wife beater and a pair of black shorts.

I felt my mouth go slightly dry, realising that my jaw was probably hitting the floor

Don't stare Mitchie.

DONT STARE!

I continued to stare for a couple more seconds reeling in the sight of his muscles, outlined perfectly by the tight top he was currently wearing and the arms...oh god the arms.

"The foods disgusting isn't it?" he asked, in a sad tone, breaking me out of my staring contest with his chest

"What? No! It's really nice, it looks _really_ good thanks" I smiled hoping he didnt realise that i wasnt talking about the food at all, before proceeding to stuff my with the world's best pancakes, I'm not even joking IHOP needs to hire Shane as their international pancake maker.

"Mmm this is so good" I mumbled, my mouth still full of food

"I'm glad...so I was thinking, that seeing as its Sunday and therefore your day of rest the four of us could you know...do something?"

I swallowed my mouthful "Err yeah" Shane never wanted anything to do with me outside work. He said so himself. And seeming as I don't even work for him anymore...

"What do you want to do? I mean it's up to you, us guys are easily pleased" he nodded his eyebrows suggestively, as I rolled my eyes.

"Jerk" I muttered

"Sorry...but seriously what do you want to do?"

I pondered for a second "DISNEYLANDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" i exclaimed excitedly it had been forever since i had been to disneyland, actually last time i went was when i was 6, so that makes it 12 years.

"Anything but that!" he protested

"But why it's the happiest place on earth!"

Nate entered the room laughing "It's cos..."

"Don't you even think about it Nate" Shane cut in, in a warning tone

"Shane's scared of Mickey mouse!" Nate shouted out in a hurry before speeding out the room

My mouth fell open as I doubled over in laughter "Are you shitting me?"

Shane looked embarrassedly down at his hands "Maybe..."

"Why?" I managed to choke out, my face now red

"Because some guy in a Mickey costume fell on me when I was 4 in Disneyland Paris"

Oh and this just gets even better.

Who would have thought it.

Shane Grey, the 19 year old pop sensation has given me a lot of surprises today

Firstly he _can_ be nice,

Secondly he's scared of a animated mouse.

Disneyland's going to be good. I wonder if they accept bribes, I would just _love_ to see a re-enactment of Shane being flattened by a mouse.

* * *

**There you go my friends, another chapter for you! Lol Disneyland will be funny and the physical SHANE transformation, just you wait and in 2 chapters time we find out what's wrong with mitchie! Oh and no love triangle. You made that perfectly clear in your reviews! But it's not all happy from here , there's a few more obstacles to destroy before that!**

**ANYWAY REVIEW AND TELL ME IF YOU LIKED THE CHAPTER**

**CHECK MY UPDATES AND WHAT IM DOING ON MY FANFIC TWITTER LINK IS ON MY PAGE**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, I'm so happy! My target was 130 and you got me to 136, 25 reviews my friends! Highest reviewed chapter of this story so far! I'm glad you liked it , so as a thank you I'm updating, also the amount of alerts I have 71! That's more than my other stories had/have! Anyway todays been a fairly productive day for me! 2 updates in a day! arent you lucky, so all of you who read help me remember check the new ch!**

**disclaimer: i own nothing, VOTE FOR ME ON THE CR AWARDS, SEARCH FOR IT ON HERE! actually even a nomination would be incrediable!**

* * *

Shane

"Please! Please!" I protested, throwing myself to the floor like a five year old. I know I was supposed to be nice, but that didn't apply when anything to do with Disneyworld is involved. "I'm not going! You can't make me!"

I looked up to the three towering figures looking down at me with disapproving expressions spread across their face...well actually just Nate and Jason. Mitchie on the other hand was looking at me rather bemused and stifling back a laugh

"Oh c'mon Shane it'll be fun!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly at me, I don't know why but I had the feeling that if I wasn't already on the floor, that smile would have made me collapse into a heap.

Must stay stubborn

Don't. Give. In.

"Nope" I crossed my arms across my chest and put on my best 'I'm not moving' face which just caused Nate to roll his eyes

"Dude, its been 15 years! 15 freaking years since some dude in a costume accidently tripped and fell directly on you"

I don't care if it was fifteen years ago, that mouse scarred me for life. How would you react when one minute you're trying to give a gigantic mouse a hug, the next be crushed against a concrete pavement with said mouse on top of you.

He broke my nose.

My precious, priceless nose.

It took a secret nose job to fix this baby.

"Look I'll make a deal with you, if you come to Disneyland and overcome your fear of the almighty Mickey Mouse, I will reconsider working for you again"

My head snapped up towards Mitchie as I raised an eyebrow "Really? And there's no other way you could work for me again without me leaving the house?"

She shook her head and sighed "Boys I give up, do what you have to do"

My gaze hurriedly went from face to face, what does she mean, do what they have to do? "Mitchie..." I said in a warning tone

"Its for your own good"

Before I could register what was happening next I felt a piece of cloth cover my eyes as Nate and Jason took one arm each, dragging me through the house and into the car on my ass

I was being kidnapped

And being held as a hostage at Disneyland

Someone call 911. Now.

"Guys let me go!" I whined,

Silence. I heard the car door open as I was slung into the back seat, before someone got in the back with me

"Do you think you can handle drama queen back there Mitchie?" Nate asked as I rolled my eyes, even though I currently had a black bandana tied around my eyes.

Close proximity with Mitchie? Nice.

Mmmm she smelled nice.

She let out a small yet sweet laugh "Oh trust me if I can handle him spilling coffee over me, I think I can handle this"

As much as I wanted to lash out, scream, swear...anything. I couldn't. I wouldn't allow myself to fail within a matter of hours, so I just sat there, still, absolutely quiet, as if I was dead.

Actually right now that seems the more appealing option than going face to face with the creature that tried to kill me.

-

* * *

MITCHIE

We pulled up outside my house a matter of minutes later ready to collect Caitlyn, i had completely forgotton about her until Nate mentioned inviting her along, he so had a thing for her

I let myself into my apartment, somewhere where I haven't been for nearly 48 hours, in search for Caitlyn, she was probably worried sick about me, after all I had made no attempt to get in contact with her.

"Oh hello there dirty stop out" Caitlyn said as she waltzed into the living room with a smug grin across her face "So where've you been?"

"Greys." I stated simply and as calmly as possible

Her eyebrows rose in curiosity "So...did you...y'know bang a grey?"

"NO!" I exclaimed, she was unbelievable, I swear her mind was always in the gutter "I did not bang a grey"

She looked disappointed "So you stayed in the same house with three of the hottest guys in world and you didn't bang one?"

I shook my head

"Did you at least...y'know, go to third base with Shane or something, I bet he's an animal"

"ENOUGH" I threw my hands up in the air " no I did not bang a grey nor did I go to ANY base with Shane...but that doesn't mean something didn't happen"

Her eyes widened as she sat down on the sofa "what!?"

"We're friends"

"WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT"

"Me and Shane are friends"

"No way...as in like friends with benefits?"

"I'm not even joking Caitlyn if you make one more innuendo towards me and the Grey brothers I will not invite you out with us"

Her mouth instantly clamped shut, I took a deep breath

"Do you want to come to Disneyland with me and Connect 3?"

"OH MY FREAKING JESUS YES! LIKE FOR REAL? ARE YOU PULLING MY CHAIN RIGHT NOW?"

"Caitlyn, I'm serious they are outside in the car", I pointed out the window to Jason's SUV

"YES!!!" she exclaimed hugging me tightly, she stiffened in my embrace as I pulled away, looking at her with a concerned expression across my face

"What is it Caitlyn?" I asked worriedly, her face was pale

"I-I'm going to spend the day with...N-Nate."

"Yep, actually it was his idea to invite you along"

She went limp and fell back onto the sofa, uh oh. She was having a fan girl moment. "Caitlyn" I fanned her with my hand "Caitlyn snap out of it." I shook her back to her senses

"Okay, no go and sling on something to wear and I'll be waiting in the car, hurry" I pulled her up by her arm and shoved her towards the bedroom wordlessly, today was going to be interesting.

I got back in the car to see Shane slumped against the window "What's up with Shane?" I asked as Nate turned around to face me

"Oh I think he's pretending to be asleep, he does it all the time...Where's Caitlyn?" I smiled as a small blush came to his cheeks when he mentioned her name

"Oh she's just coming, she's pretty excited to see you guys"

"Really?" his eyes lit up, I nodded

"Yeah, some more than others"

I saw Nate open his mouth to question me further but was interrupted as the car door opened. His eyes practically bulged out of their sockets as she entered the car, smiling widely

"Hi" she said sheepishly

Shane simply grumped in acknowledgment as Jason gave her a high five,

"H-h-h-hi" Nate stuttered out, oh smooth Nate. Oh so smooth.

-

* * *

shane

I felt the car come to an abrupt stop. Oh god, we were here. I held on as tightly as I could to the chair in front of me, I wasn't moving, they couldn't make me

I'd stay in the car.

"We're here!" Mitchie and Caitlyn exclaimed excitingly, only confirming my worst fear.

"I'm not going" I mumbled as I felt a pair of hands carefully untie the bandana from around my eyes. I winced in pain as the blinding light shone through the window, attacking my eyes

"C'mon Shane it'll be fun! We can go on the rides! I'll protect you from any rodents!"

I turned to face her, my hands still wrapped around the headrest, her eyes were almost pleading with me "Fine" I surrendered "but I am not and I repeat not going near any Disney characters."

I let go of the chair as she smiled, wrapping her arms around me "Yay" she squealed

We walked into the park in our designated little groups, Nate and Caitlyn joined at the hip aimlessly flirting with one another, Jason on his own bounding ahead and me and Mitchie tagging along behind in a comfortable silence. I felt my hands shake violently as the surroundings became suddenly familiar to me

"So where to first?" Nate asked

"SPACE MOUNTAIN" Mitchie and Caitlyn exclaimed simultaneously. I took the opportunity to check Caitlyn out, admittedly she was good looking but had absolutely nothing on Mitchie, I didn't go for blondes, well I did but they had to be pretty special, besides Caitlyn seems a little too giddy for my liking

"Okay" I said hesitantly, I had to keep a little of my masculinity intact, I couldn't admit that I was also scared of heights.

Oh god I was a poor excuse for a man. I really was.

-

* * *

MITCHIE

I let out a laugh as the adrenaline from Space Mountain was still pumping through my body, gah, Disneyland never got old, even for an 18 year old. I glanced towards Shane's who's previously straight hair was sticking out in various directions and a blank expression across his face

"You alright Shane?" I asked concerned

He didn't vocalise, he just simply nodded, as he attempted to walk in a straight line. I stalled back with Nate "Do you think this is going to work?" I whispered into his ear . Let's just say that in the short space of time before deciding to go to Disneyland and throwing Shane into the car, we had devised ourselves a little plan

"Oh I do hope so, I did not withdraw $400 dollars from my account for nothing"

I let a small mischievous grin play on my lips as I gave the surroundings a quick once over

"Look Nate" I pointed over towards a huddle of live sized Disney characters

Nate clapped his hands together with a determined look across his face "Right let's make Shane pee his pants"

I nodded before running to catch up with Shane.

I tried my best to distract Shane as I saw Nate approach the guy in the Mickey mouse costume about 100 yards behind the two of us, his hands full of notes. We didn't care, there was no monetary limit to seeing Shane be completely terrified by an animated mouse.

I kept on looking over my back every few seconds to check how the situation was going, until I saw the guy accept a handful of cash and go off with Nate, mission accomplished.

"So, how is Disneyland?" I asked Shane in curiosity, even though he was still pretty stiff, he had loosened up considerably since we entered the park

He shrugged "Its okay I guess, some of the rides are pretty cool, I mean it's a lot better than when I last came, height restrictions and all" he smiled at me, not just any smile but a genuine smile

"Thanks for not making me face my fear, it means a lot"

Uh oh. Pang of guilt. This wasn't part of the plan, you were not supposed to feel guilty and you were not supposed to have an increased pulse whenever Shane Grey smiles at you!

NOT PART OF THE PLAN.

I laughed nervously whist I tried my hardest to push the guilt I was currently experiencing to the back of my mind.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket '_Ready to rock and roll. Jason's ready with the camera, I'm on my way out, this is going to be hilarious' _I flipped my phone shut, quickly shoving it back in my pocket before Shane got a chance to see the text. I bit my lip nervously and stepped to the side as I saw Nate running out towards us dressed in a Mickey Mouse costume, his hands raised in the air like a lunatic.

Oh, revenge is sweet. Funny and slightly wrong, but sweet

-

* * *

shane

It was amazing how easily myself and Mitchie had been getting on in the space of a day; it was safe to say that I was now seeing her in a completely different light. We had obviously got off on the wrong foot, causing us to make each other's lives as miserable as possible, I'm just glad those days were over.

Silence over took us, a strange occurrence as we had been in deep conversation for the past fifteen minutes talking about practically anything and everything. I glanced towards her, through my ray bans, to see her looking towards the floor.

I knitted my eyebrows together in confusion, what's with the sudden silence. I turned myself around, finally realising the absence of everyone else to see....

Oh my fucking god.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I Screamed as I sprinted as quickly away from the creature as I could, even after 15 years the pain was still as raw.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

I didn't look back, even if the sounds of hysterical laughing was going on behind me, how could they do this to me?

I glanced back, the mouse literally three paces behind me, I fought with every ounce in my body to keep on running, yet I wasn't fast enough, I tripped on what could only be a rock as I went plummeting towards the floor. The giant mouse falling on top of me in the process

"AHHHHHHH"

I struggled under him, trying to break free, my head was dizzy and I'm pretty sure I had began hyperventilating "AHHHHHHH"

Why weren't any of them helping me?

I closed my eyes, hoping that this was one giant nightmare, until I felt the mouse's weight shift off of me. I cautiously opened my eyes to see Nate sitting there hysterically laughing with a Mickey Mouse head in his hands

"Oh-g-god t-that was so-o-o funny!" he exclaimed through his laughter.

I looked around noticing I had caused a scene, numerous tourists surrounding us, snapping away at their cameras. God this was going to be on oceanup in a matter of hours. My eyes landed on the remaining three of my so called friends, red in the face and doubling over with laughter.

I felt anger bubble up inside me, ready to explode, on the scale of 1 to 10 I was a 10 on the anger spectrum. How could they? They knew how scared I was...

I wanted to scream, shout, even attack them, but I couldn't, I took a deep breath and got to my feet, brushing myself off with my hand and turned away from them

"Dude we we're only playing with you!" Nate exclaimed as I continued to walk away from them, I needed to vent my emotions, I was either going to punch someone or cry and at this moment in time I wanted to cry. How very masculine of me.

I tried to calm my breathing down as my heart rate returned to normal; I had now made it out of the park and into the car park. I glanced at Nate's mustang, there was no way I was waiting for them , I'd just get a cab home, sure it might cost me an arm full but oh well I could afford it.

"SHANE!" I heard my name being called from the distance, I fought with my better judgement, but I knew who's voice that belonged to- Mitchie.

I turned around with an unimpressed expression playing on my face as I let her catch up to me. She stopped in front of me panting heavily as she clutched onto her side, wincing in pain

"I-I'm sorry" she managed to breath out

"For humiliating me and scaring the living daylights out of me?" I asked in a soft tone, I couldn't be mad at her even if I tried, there was just something about her, something that I couldn't pin point that made my heart race and my hands feel slightly sweaty.

It was disgusting but in a good way.

He sighed heavily, looking at me straight in the eyes "It was only supposed to be a joke, I didn't know you'd react like that, I'm really sorry"

"Yeah well it wasnt funny"

"How about as a way of showing how sorry I am, how would you like your personal assistant back?" she looked at me with hopeful eye.

I wanted her as my personal assistant, but then again, I didn't. I didn't want work to get in the way of us... hold on us? There was no us, we were two individuals...Shane and Mitchie

Oh god.

Not Shane and Mitchie

Just Shane

Just Mitchie.

Did I want there to be an us?

I don't know.

"No, I don't want you to be my personal assistant"

She looked at me with a hurt and somewhat confused expression "What?" she whispered out

"I just think if we're going to do the whole friends thing that we shouldn't complicate it with you working for me, you'd only end up resenting me again. After all it's about time I do some work of my own instead of sitting on my ass"

"So you still want to be my friend after I publically humiliated you?"

I laughed "actually I think the question is, do you still want to be friends with a nineteen year old who is scared of a mouse"

She shrugged "Ah I guess I could over see it"

"Good!" I nodded "now go on, get back in there, I'll see you guys back at the apartment or something" I turned ready to go when I felt a hand on my shoulder

"Aren't you coming back in?"

I shook my head "Nah I think I've had enough Disney excitement for another 15 years"

"Well lets go somewhere else" she stated

"Its not fair on the others"

"Who said anything about them" she winked at me as she pulled out Nate's car keys from her pocket "Nate is too busy flirting with Caitlyn and Jason's currently stalking Goofy...so what do you say Mr Pop Star, how about you and me go have a little fun?"

"Sure"

Oh god. That last line was not wasted on me. Although I don't think my idea of us having 'fun' is what she has in mind.

Fucking hormones.

* * *

**So that was kind of a filler chapter, I don't really like it if I'm honest with you, but I wanted to update, any suggestions you guys have would be amazing. Please review and tell me what you think, upcoming chapters will be good!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello there my lovely readers! All I can say is WOW! 21 reviews! 157 reviews and 78 alerts! That's amazing! So I've had a really good day so what better way to end it, by updating of course! I hope you enjoyed last chapter and I am currently working on two one shots and my other fics , to all of those who read 'Too good to be true' have no fear I will update!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything and i apologise for typo's its 11:20pm and i'm quickly reading it over before i sleep.**

**-whole ch in shane pov**

* * *

SHANE

"So err, what exactly are we going to do?" I asked curiously, I was still pretty amazed that she had decided to desert her best friend and 2/3 of connect three at Disney land to spend the day with me.

ME.

The asshole that has made the past 3 weeks of her life a misery

"Hmmm" she tapped her fingers lightly on Nate's steering wheel contemplating thought "OH!"She exclaimed, her face lighting up with a massive smile as she turned her head to face me "You, my dear friend are going to do what normal teenagers do for the day"

"Normal teenage stuff?"

"Well" she breathed out rolling her eyes "What me and Caitlyn used to do back in Jersey"

My eyes widened "You're from Jersey?!"

She rolled her eyes once more "Yes, god Shane did you even listen to a word I said before yesterday?"

She had mentioned it before? Oh err... "No" I admitted sheepishly

She scoffed lightly "cant say it surprises me...so Mr Grey for today and today only you are going experience socialising with the one and only Michelle Torres!" she started the ignition and pulled out of the car park "First stop down town LA"

-

* * *

We had gotten to our destination an hour later, the streets filled with avid shoppers, wasting away money that was probably given to them by their parents to keep them sweet, as Mitchie and I found a parking spot in the shade next to the nearest mall and cinema complex

"Oh can we go to the cinema! It's been forever since I last saw a film on the big screen" I pleaded, and lied. It hasn't been forever it's been...a week. At the premiere for Night of the Museum 2, which we happened to be in.

She knew I was lying, I could tell.

"Fine" she surrendered "as long as it's not a gory horror film"

"Deal" Truth be told, I loved horrors yet I simply couldn't watch them without spewing the contents of my stomach up in the process.

"So in Torres/Geller tradition no outing is a simple as going out, it's all about truth or dare"

Truth or dare? Uh oh. I wasn't good at this game, not at all, I was too insecure to tell the truth and I was too scared to do a dare,

"Okay..." I said slowly

"So as you are the guest you can go first"

"Truth or dare?" I asked her

"Dare"

I looked around our surroundings, the only thing I saw was the small cinema booth with some adolescent boy reading a Spiderman comic...perfect.

"Okay Miss Torres let's see if you're not all talk...I dare you to go and get us our cinema tickets, without paying"

She stood there silent for a few seconds "Okay" she clasped her hands together and hoisted up her sundress slightly, causing my gaze to follow her ass out of instinct.

I'm a guy. Sue me.

I couldn't help but admire her confidence not only in the way she acts but in herself, even though I hadn't been in her presence long, it's clear to see that she was a strong person who took no crap from nobody.

She waltzed over to the booth, swaying her hips in a seductive manner, achieving the glances from several male passersby even the odd wolf whistle, I felt like pummelling all of them. How dare they treat her as if she was a piece of meat. For me it was different, I was just admiring the view...making an observation.

Mitchie leaned against the booth, her chest resting against the flat surface directly in front of the teenager. I watched intensely as the boy lowered his magazine to see the sight in front of him. His eyes literally bulged out of their sockets as he stuttered some incoherent sentences.

Mitchie laughed before flinging her hair back and winking, the dark haired boy blushed viciously , his hands shaking violently as he reached for tickets.

She accepted the tickets and blew the boy a kiss, turning on her heels and walking away, leaving the poor guy flustered and with a certain...problem that would need to be resolved in private, preferably not in the booth.

Mitchie waved the tickets in front of me "Easy"

I shook my head and laughed "that poor boy, by the looks of his face you probably gave him his first boner"

Her mouth fell open "I wasn't that bad was I?"

"Nothing anyone over the age of 16 couldn't handle "I reassured "But I'm pretty sure that he's 14 max"

"Oh god" she muttered "I'm a paedophile!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her ridiculous comment "You weren't to know...besides what film are we going to see?"

"Night of the museum 2" she didn't sound too enthused

"Oh I heard it's supposed to be amazing"

She shrugged "Meh...maybe"

-

* * *

"That was the best film I've ever seen!" I exclaimed

"Oh course it was "she rolled her eyes at me "Because you were in it...although, seeing you as a naked marble baby has made me realise that you do suit the role"

"What being naked?" I wriggled my eyebrows suggestively, oh c'mon a little harmless flirting never did anyone any harm

Her cheeks turned slightly read "No as a baby...but if you'd prefer me to see you as 'little and poorly endowed then fine!"

Ouch Shane 1 Mitchie 1

Match point.

"Anyway..." I began in the hopes of changing the subject and fast "Where to next?"

"The mall"

"The mall? I don't want to be swarmed by crazy fan girls Mitch" I whined, the last thing I wanted to do was potentially be ripped away from Mitchie's company by some preteen who wants my children.

"Oh my dear friend, this isn't just any mall experience, it's your turn for a dare, that's if you think you're man enough"

"Of course I'm man enough" I protested, flexing my muscles as we entered the mall and made our way to the food court

"Says the guy who's scared of a Disney character"...and heights, and mushrooms.

What?!

Don't judge.

"Touché"

I followed Mitchie into Mobs, a smoothie bar, where she ordered a strawberry smoothie for the both of us.

"So what is it Mr Grey, truth or dare?"

"Dare" I said automatically, even though my head was shouting , neither you chicken.

"Okay I dare you-" she was about to finish her sentence, yet I was thankfully rescued by my Iphone.

I felt my phone begin to vibrate in my pocket, I pulled it out not bothering to look at the caller ID "three guesses as to who it is" I asked mitchie as she bit her lip

"Nate" she answered simply

"Here goes nothing" I said mentally preparing myself for what I'm about to hear

"Hel-"

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!? WHERE THE HELL IS MITCHIE AND WHERE THE FUCK IS MY BABY?" I winced at the volume of Nate's angry voice blaring through my phone as Mitchie did also, I guess she could hear him as well.

"Mitchie's with me" I replied calmly "We're out. And we have your car"

"DIDNT YOU THINK TO TELL US YOU WERE JUST FUCKING OFF SOMEWHERE?! AND MY CAR?! HOW DID YOU EVEN GET IN POSSESSION TO THE KEYS FOR MY CAR?"

"Err..." I stuttered not knowing what to say, instead I pulled the phone from my ear and shoved it towards Mitchie

"Hi Nate" she said cheerily, although it was clear to see she was slightly nervous "Yes I know I should have called...I'm taking good care with it...yes its parked in the shade...Oh Shane? He's fine...No Nate we didn't leave you guys to go and get Shane some new pants because he wet himself."

My eyes widened as I snatched the phone back "Not cool Nate, not cool."

"Whatever" he shot back "Just don't be an ass to Mitchie, please? Have fun and we'll see you later"

"Sure thing bro, later" I pressed the end call button, shoving my iphone back into my pocket "So, where were we..."

"I was about to give you a dare"

I hesitated for a minute, wishing she had forgotten, I was never good at these sorts of games, and today wasn't an exception "No, I'm pretty sure it's your go"

Lame shot, I know, but anything's worth a try. I'm a coward

And to think women lust over me. What a letdown I'd be...

But then again I'd make it up in other area's...

Sorry I let the ego creep out there.

She rolled her eyes , taking a slurp of her smoothie "Nice try Grey, for that I'm going to have to reconsider the dare, maybe make it a little more, interesting..."

Uh oh. No way. I pulled down my cap further, trying to hide my worried expression from Mitchie

Her eyes lit up as she let out a small laugh "Ohh I've got a good one!" she exclaimed, her voice full of excitement, only resulting in making me feel even more anxious "See that guy over there" she pointed across the smoothie bar to a tall blonde guy, "the hot one" she added, I just nodded, not seeing where she was going with this

"I want you to get his number"

I furrowed my eyebrows, well that was easy I'd just go up to him and say 'hey I'm Shane Grey, want to go to a game sometime, what's your number'

"Okay that's easy enough, I'll go get his number" I felt fairly confident as I got up off of my chair, only to be pulled down again by Mitchie

"No, that's not what I meant, I want you to get his _number_"

"Oh no" I muttered, knowing exactly what she was getting at "I am not chatting up some dude!"

"Its a dare Shane, or do you forfeit? Are you a chicken Shane?" she imitated a chicken as I narrowed my eyes at her, if Just Jared or OceanUp caught wind of what I was about to do, I'd be crucified.

Millions of women would go into deep depression, some may even join a mass cult

And the guys... look no offence but I don't swing that way, and I certainly don't want boxers being thrown at me on stage instead of thongs.

"What if he's not gay?" I protested, finding a possible loop hole

She threw her head back "Oh C'mon Shane he's gayer than gay! Look at him! No straight guy in their right mind would wear a hot pink shirt and plaid shorts, with matching flip flops"

But I have a pink shirt and plaid shorts...

"Plus his eyebrows, they are nicer than mine for crying out loud! If he's not gay, then I'm jumping him"

That caught my attention, Mitchie was not jumping anyone, including Mr Potentially-Gay! If she was going to jump anyone it would be me.

Hold on back track, did I just vocalise my wanting for Mitchie to jump me? Nice mental image.

I sighed loudly "Fine, but if the press get hold of this, your head is on the line"

She shot me one of her priceless smiles as she sat back in triumph "Use your best lines Shane"

I got up off of the chair and made my way over to the guy, refusing to look back at Mitchie, she was going to pay for this, I don't know how but she was.

I leaned against the counter where he was leaning, texting on his phone "Hi" I said casually, trying to make my voice slightly lower, hoping that it would sound attractive without me having to come on too strong

"Hiya!" he replied, his voice high pitched and typically Californian voice, he flicked his over grown hair to the side, a similar length to mine before giving me the once over

"Hey you look familiar" I squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze, please don't recognise me, please don't recognise me! His eyes widened "Oh my god! You're fall 2009's Calvin Klein underwear model!" his mouth formed an 'o' shape whilst he fanned himself with his available hand

I nodded shrugging slightly "Guilty... so err what's a cute guy like you doing all the way over here by yourself" I asked, my stomach churning uneasily

He took a step forward, making the distance between us even smaller, before grabbing a fistful of my shirt and pulling me closer

"The real question is, what is a catch like you doing on your own?" he purred into my ear. I couldn't help but cringe slightly, before remembering my goal- the phone number

I pulled away in which I hope was a playful manner "My friend over there" I pointed over towards Mitchie, who was currently portraying the role of a person, trying to refrain from pissing herself with laughter "had to listen to me whilst I gushed about how hot you looked in those plaid shorts of yours and encouraged me to come over"

"Well I'm glad you did" he raised his eyebrows at me suggestively

"What are you doing Thursday night?" I asked, this was it, make or break

"Ohh" he pondered thought, putting a finger to his chin "Nothing that cant be cancelled"

"How about you and I, go and paint the town...pink" I was going to say red, but I thought pink may be slightly more appropriate

I pulled out my iphone and handed it to him as he excitedly typed in his digits. Success

"You going to call me tonight?" he asked

I winked "Try and stop me tiger, and who knows play your cards right and I may do a private show of the fall 2009 collection"

He blushed furiously as I turned on my heel and rushed off towards Mitchie, signalling for us to leave.

Once we had safely made it out of the mall, she doubled over in laughter "Oh...my...god, you do realise I could hear everything you were saying!"

I felt my face turn bright red, my cheeks feeling as if they were on fire, embarrassed was an understatement.

"You dared me to get his number and I did" I help up my phone triumphantly to show the number of...Mike

Once her breathing and laughter had died down, her face returning to a somewhat normal colour she stuck out her hand, I raised an eyebrow as I cautiously shook her hand

"Well played Grey, well played"

I took a bow "Why thank you Torres, maybe I should take a career move into acting"

We both doubled over in laughter, to the point where tears were spilling freely from Mitchie's eyes

I rubbed my stomach in complaint "Oww, all that laughing and flirting has made me hungry"

"Well then there's only one thing to do about that... MCDONALDS!"

We practically raced towards Nate's mustang at a million miles per hour, acting like complete kids, I was having fun for the first time in a long time I was acting carefree, not needing to put on a front for anyone.

I turned on the radio, the music automatically filling the car as the cool air made its way through the open windows "Ohhhh we're half way there, oh-oh living on a prayer!" I sang at the top of my lungs as we sped down the highway

"TAKE MY HAND, WE'LL MAKE IT I SWEARRR OHHHHHHHHHHH LIVING ON PRAYERR" Mitchie joined in, even if we were singing at the top of our lungs, our voices seemed to harmonise perfectly. Note to self; bring up Mitchie singing in the future.

As we pulled up to the McDonalds drive through I remembered our ongoing game of truth or dare. "Truth or dare?" I asked her as she snapped her heads towards me and smiled mischievously

"Oh by now Shane you should know that I like to live life on the edge...dare"

"I dare you to sing the Mc Donald's drive thru rap to the waiter"

She closed her eyes and scrunched her face together "but that's cringey!"

"Ohhh is someone chicken" I imitated her from earlier on

"NO!" she protested a little too quickly and bluntly "I'll do it"

She shifted the car forward in align with the ordering window

"How can I help you today?" a guy in his 30's asked

She looked towards me and I just nodded as she took a deep breath

_"I need a double cheese burger and hold the lettuce__Don't be frontin son — no seeds on the bun__We be up in this drive through order for two__I gots a cravin' fo' a numba nine like my shoe__We need some chicken up in here, in this hizzle__For rizzle my mizzle, extra salt on da frizzle__Doctor pepper my brothah, another for ya motha__Double-double supah size and don't forget the fries_."

-

* * *

"Do you know I don't think I've ever had _that _much fun before, oh god did you see that guys face..."

I was still trying to compose my breathing, still choking on my own laughter, which Mitchie was following suit. We turned the corner towards her house, reaching the end of her porch. We got out of Nate's car, still stuffing our faces with fries.

"Oh god I know, he was mortified...."she stopped midsentence frozen to the ground, I snapped my head to the side with raised eyebrows, confused.

"Mitchie?" I said softly, resting my hand on her shoulder, she remained frozen, her gaze fixed on something ahead of us. I slowly followed her gaze, before she shook of my shoulder and went storming off up the porch

"Why the hell are you here." She spat out.

Who?!

* * *

**I THOUGHT THIS CHAPTER WAS AWFUL**

**OH I HATE IT**

**HAHAHAHA so I wrote this first, so I'm basically now writing the rest of the chapter to lead it to that. So who is the mystery person? I know! But they have something to do with why she's a closed book. Good times. Please review, I have 157 reviews at the moment and I'd love 175 by the time I update, that's 18 my friends!**


	10. Chapter 10

**So guy's I'm lazy, like immensely lazy, I'm still doing exams and I just want to curl up into a ball and sleep! Maybe after this. All I can say is...WHAT THE FUCK 190 REVIEWS!? I asked for 175 and you gave me 15 more! 33 IN TOTAL! Amazing, so I'm updating!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but I'm currently wishing I owned the lead singer of the Script. Mm Yeah.**

**Sorry for typo's its 3:10 am, ive been awake 23hrs50 mins so far lol! havent read it through but oh well, i feel sick with tiredness so bleugh**

**-**

* * *

I felt a breath hitch in my throat, what the hell...

I shrugged Shane's hand off, as I could feel his concerned eyes burn into the side of my head, yet I couldn't tear my eyes away from the person who stood before me, their eyes now meeting mine.

They hadn't changed. Not one bit.

I inhaled a deep breath, my chest heaving as a result, storming up my porch, leaving a perplexed Shane behind me

"Why the hell are you here?" I spat out, my voice as cold as ice, I waited for a reply, yet instead a small smile crept to their lips

"Michelle! My darling how I've missed you" they exclaimed with a lightheaded tone, engulfing me in their arms, twirling me around slightly.

My body stiffened, wanting to reject any feeling or acknowledgement for this poor excuse of a person in front of me. My eyes met with a confused Shane, his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to figure what was happening before him, and to be honest, so was I.

I pulled away with force, pushing them as far away as possible "Don't darling me" I hissed "and I haven't missed you, not one bit."

Did I sound harsh?

Yes?

Fantastic. I am glad.

Their face fell, before a hint of anger glimmered in their eyes "That's no way to talk to your-"

"My what?" I shot back "My mother? Because I'm pretty sure you resigned from the role a _long_ time ago"

Yes that's right, my mother. The one and only

The one person who I wish would fuck out of my life forever.

The reason why I spontaneously packed up my life with Caitlyn and moved half way across the country.

She looked at me with pleading eyes "Please darling, I flew all this way..."

"For absolutely nothing, so do me a favour and fuck off back to New Jersey. Or hell, whichever one will do me just fine"

"Mitchie?" I heard a voice, causing me to snap my head around,

Shit, I forgot he was standing there. He made his way towards the path, his eyes never leaving mine as he stopped beside me, slinging an arm around me as a sign of support.

Who was I to object to a little Shane interaction?

"Who is this Michelle dear?" her sickenly sweet voice, ringing through my ears once more, I swear they were now bleeding.

I narrowed my eyes "None of your business"

"Is he your boyfriend?" she sounded genuinely interested as I scoffed in utter disbelief, where Shane on the other hand was sporting a nice pink tint to his cheeks.

"Oh wouldn't you just _love_ that! Why? Do you want to fuck him? Or do you save that for your daughter's boyfriends?!"

Yeah that's right, my mother is a cradle snatcher, a whore, a cheater, slag, slut, hoe, bitch, liar, conniving useless piece of crap.

I saw Shane's jaw fall to the ground out of the corner of my eye, as my mother looked like she had just been shot.

"Michelle, I'm so sorry, please can we just talk things over" I looked towards her feet, 3 large suitcases, propped up on their wheels, nah something isn't right about this.

"Why is all your things with you _Susan_" I emphasised her name, hoping she would get the message that she had well and truly lost the right to be my mother.

Her eyes snapped down towards the floor, as an ashamed expression spread across her face. He'd done it; my dad had finally grown a pair and chucked the bitch out.

"He threw you out didn't he?" finally he saw sense!

I didn't need an answer, her silence answered for it.

It's amazing how my life can do a 180 in a matter of minutes, I had had one of the best days I can remember today, hanging with Shane, and now she has to turn up and rub salt into wounds which I have barely managed to heal.

I ran my hands through my hair fustratedly, angry at her, at this situation, hell I was even angry at Shane, just because he had to see all of this.

"What did you do now?" I asked, she had a track record, she had brought shame to me and my family with her incapability of keeping her legs closed

She looked back up at me, her long brown hair, tied up in a messy bun highlighting her face, prominent bags under her eyes, her face naked of any make-up, she looked a mess. And this certainly wasn't like her.

My mother didn't go out the house unless her face was so caked up with make-up that you could literally scrape it off with a shovel, her hair had to be curled to perfection and he lips had to be a rogue red colour.

And now she looks...normal.

She bit her lip, avoiding eye contact with me

"You strayed again?" which in answer she simply nodded

She was unbelievable; didn't her marriage vows mean anything to her? Her faith? What happened to the commandment condemning adultery?

"Who was it?" My home town wasn't big, everyone knew everyone. Secrets got around, and so did people...look at my mother a prime example

"Ben" she whispered almost inaudibly

My heart abruptly stopped in my chest and shattered, Ben...Ben...my Ben. I closed my eyes not wanting to cry in front of her, let alone Shane whose arm was now hanging loosely around my waist, as he clung onto me.

I was shaking, with emotion.

Anger, sadness, disappointment.

Ben.

My best friend.

My first love.

Ben Jones.

"Y-You told me you stopped" I allowed my voice to crack as my voice rose "You told me that it was a onetime thing!" I pulled away from Shane's protective grasp, throwing my hands up in the air

"And you really thought that I would even _consider_ talking to you, or even letting you into my house after what you did? And what you're obviously still DOING!"

My chest was heaving up and down, my breathing heavy, my blood practically boiling.

Tears were running freely down her face "You've got to understand me Michelle, I never meant to hurt anyone, I swear" she faked a sincere voice.

I closed my eyes, trying to process the information as the shame and embarrassment of even looking at her was getting too much for me

"Leave" I said quietly

"Please Michelle, I hear me out, let me explain!" her voice was desperate as she gripped onto my shoulders, shaking me. I looked into her blurry eyes, glazed with tears

"No" I shook my head "I never thought I could be anymore disappointed and ashamed to call you my mother than I was, but now..." I let my voice trail off as it got quieter and quieter

"Please leave...mom."

She reluctantly pulled up the handles to her luggage and passed by us on the porch, her tears still spilling from her eyes, before stopping at the end of the porch "I know it doesn't mean a lot Michelle, but I really never meant to hurt you. Maybe one day I can earn your trust again, bye darling"

I stood in silence; my body frozen to the ground as I heard the scrapping of the wheels against the pavement get fainter.

I fumbled through my bag for my keys, all I wanted now was a strong drink and my bed, as uncomfortable as it was, it was my safe haven, my security.

"Yes" I muttered as I pulled out the key and scrambled to the door, Shane still in toe. I didn't want him to come in, but I didn't want to turn him away.

I didn't want company

But I didn't want him to leave me.

I didn't want to talk about it

But I wanted to tell him everything

My head was now throbbing with a combination of laughing, screaming and scoffing all in the past hour, as I threw myself on my bed.

"Fuck my life" I grumbled into my pillow.

I felt the bed dip, indicating that Shane had invited himself into my room and on to my bed.

"Mitchie" he started softly, his voice cautious, he knew I was on the edge, he had seen my anger on numerous occasions now, and anyone who has experienced my wrath knows to steer well clear.

I let out a small groan in acknowledgement

"Are you okay?" Wow Mr Grey, was I okay? Let me see....

NO.

"Yeah" I replied

"Liar" he shot back in a playful yet serious tone

I readjusted myself on the bed, flipping myself over, so that I was now facing the ceiling "she ruined everything, she knew no good could ever come from it"

"What?" he asked intrigued. I knew that now was the defining moment, I was either going to change the subject and force him to leave, or I was going to let him in, tell him my insecurities and my sob story. Something I haven't done in a long time, and certainly didn't intend to.

Especially with Shane Grey.

"It was last summer" I began as I took in a deep breath "I had been forced to go to this camp for a week to volunteer, camp rock. It was a work experience placement as an instructor for the production classes. Part of me was looking forward to going, to get experience, to get one step closer to my dream, But then again I didn't want to leave home. My family...Ben. Ben was my childhood friend turn boyfriend. We knew each other from birth; our mothers were friends, that was until his mother passed when he was fifteen. We crossed that line from friendship to relationship when we were 14. I had had a crush on him, since I could remember, yet I never thought he saw me as anymore than 'Mitchie, my friend who happens to be of the female gender'. So when he asked me out I was over the moon. "

I glanced over at Shane, who was looking at me, listening intently with a soft understanding expression across his face

"We dated for three years before I went to the camp, we were serious, we had exchanged the whole I love you and we y'know...I thought he was the one, but I guess I was naive... I came home on the Friday, excited because I managed to leave a few hours earlier, ready to surprise Ben. But it turned out it was me that was in for the surprise. I pulled to his house, both cars gone, indicating that his parents were at work. So I pulled out my spare key for his house, used in emergencies, but then again I thought a surprise was worth it. The house was near enough silent besides a muffling noise coming from his room."

I shut my eyes, unwillingly reliving the moment

"I thought he was on the phone, or talking to someone via Xbox, so I made my way up the stairs as quietly as possible, my heart literally jumping out my chest at how excited I was to see him. I got to the door, it was closed. He NEVER closed his door. The noises were louder and they confused me, but I didn't think too much of it, I was seeing my boyfriend for crying out loud, I didn't have time to hallucinate about things. So I opened the door and..."

I paused, the words about to roll of my tongue not spoken out loud to anyone else besides Caitlyn. But I had let Shane in. I trusted him, even after all we've been through I trusted him

"There he was, in a compromising position with my mom. I ran out, crying, screaming, I was heartbroken. Part of me thought that maybe our relationship wouldn't last forever and yeah the break up would be messy, but I didn't think I'd catch him having sex with my mother! She wasn't sorry, he acted sorry. She knew his mother for crying out loud. His mother was her friend, she had known him since I was born...everything was just so fucked up! My dad got depressed, my mum was out adding another notch to her bedpost every night, and my heart and been well and truly ripped out of my chest. Then news got round, it's a small town, it was inevitable. The humiliation was too much to bear, my dad was a wreck, my mom was a whore and I couldn't live with any of it hanging over me. I wanted a fresh start, which led me here."

By the end of my little story, Shane's face was unreadable, after all its not everyday someone tells you about how her mother sleeps with her boyfriends.

"He was my best friend. Knew all my insecurities, he was part of the family, and he crushed me by sleeping with my mom...they weren't even drunk, they had no justification. And she was my _mom_ she heard me gush about him on a daily basis, she was the one I confided with, she was supposed to protect me, not destroy me. No mother does that. But...well, after that she wasn't my mother any longer. She was dead to me. As was Ben. As was New Jersey"

I felt tears fall down my face as I realised I was crying, Shane pulled me into a hug as I let out silent sobs, my body jerking as he held tight. I was full of emotions, yet drained at the same time. He placed his chin on my head and mumbled

"You're amazing" he stated simply, causing me to pull away slightly and give him a look of confusion, care to elaborate? "You just told me something really personal, you let me in. After everything I've done to you. And after everything you've gone through...you just are, amazing"

My heart soared at his compliment, he close proximity, making me feel lightheaded...and god, he smelt good.

I was intoxicated.

And not by his Gucci cologne

But by Shane Grey himself

Oh shit.

This wasnt good.

Feelings for Shane Grey was NOT part of the job description!

* * *

**So there you go,Mitchie's past BUT THERES MORE! OH THERES MORE! YOU'LL HAVE TO REVIEW TO FIND OUT**

** its 3:11**** am currently and I got distracted by the Jonas web chat from 1-2am my time! I'm really tired so sorry if its rubbish I can't keep my eyes open**

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	11. Chapter 11

**Woah I'm so happy right now! I've got 35 reviews for the latest chapter, I'm was so happy when I woke up like 6 hours after posting to find out I already had like 18 reviews! So I'm updating again. A lot of you asked me how I came up with such an idea. All I can say is, I love jerry Springer.**

**So I'm at 225 reviews in 10 chapters! AMAZING**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my bed. Sorry for typo's its 00:45 atm lol!**

**-**

* * *

I heard the door open, stirring me out of my slumber as I tiredly opened my eyes, I don't remember falling asleep. I blinked a few times adjusting to the light, as I attempted to stretch, yet I was literally pinned to the bed by an arm draped around my waist.

I raised an eyebrow in confusion as I looked down, why exactly was I asleep next to Shane Grey? I heard a snigger at the door, as my eyes shot to the source, revealing a rather amused looking Caitlyn.

"So you ditched us so you could bed a grey" she whispered shouted, as Shane was still sleeping peacefully beside me.

I rolled my eyes "No! If I had bed a Grey then I wouldn't be clothed"

"Well I don't know how you have your nerdy sex!" my mouth fell open as i mocked shock, i do not have nerdy sex!

"We did not have nerdy sex, we didn't have any kind of sex" I protested as I managed to get out of Shane's grip without disturbing him. I got up and stretched my arms, before dragging Caitlyn into the living room

"So what happened, why did you run off, what lead you here and why the hell was Shane on your bed?" I sat her down and explained everything, not leaving a detail out on how my wicked witch of a mother had made a surprise visit to beg for her forgiveness

"Damn!" she said shocked "I can't believe you told Shane!"

And to be honest, looking back on it, neither could I. It was my instinct to tell Shane, but did I really trust him? I've always had trust issues and earning it was hard, so how did Shane manage to earn my trust after two days?

Did I really trust him?

Or did I feel obliged to tell him my sob story because he told me mine? Well he didn't really, Nate did, but still.

I shot Caitlyn a confused look, showing her my emotional turmoil "Fuck" I muttered coming to a realisation

"What!?"

"He's going to tell Nate and Jason" I lowered my head towards my lap "Shit" I muttered "I'm going to get the sympathy treatment"

"He might not tell them" Caitlyn replied, trying to convince me.

But I wasn't convinced. Therefore proving I didn't trust him. Yet.

I ran my hands through my hair fustratedly before leaping up off of the sofa "I've got to get out of here."

I needed time to think, to really process everything that's happened in the past few hours, to clear my head.

"But what about Shane?" Caitlyn protested

"Just tell him I've left" and with that I left the apartment and America's #2 on the 'Hottest male celebrities 2009' Shane Grey sleeping on my bed.

Now that's a scenario many, many, _many_ girls would die to experience. But then again i dont think they'd leave him

I walked aimlessly, no destination in sight, my mind reeling with various thoughts.

How did my mother even find out where I lived? I didn't leave an address or a contact number, and the only person I informed on my leaving was my dad and then I didn't even give him any contact details, I just said I'd call him.

So how did she find me, and why on earth did she think I would let her stay with me? Didn't she realise how badly it affected me?

Stupid question

Of course she did.

She was the one who had to negotiate with the school for me to sit my exams at home because I refused to leave the house.

She was the one who watched my life crumble into pieces whilst I tried to stay positive for my dad who was unable to function with daily tasks.

She was the one who had to scoop me up off of my bathroom floor one night because I thought things would be better if I just consumed a whole bottle of sleeping pills.

She was the one who signed my discharge paper as I left the hospital a week later with a freshly pumped stomach.

She knew what she did.

She didn't care

Not for anyone but herself.

She single handily ruined the lives of the two people that were meant to mean the most to her. And it's taken till now for karma to kick in and bitch slap that pretty face of hers.

I sat myself down on a bench, overlooking a set of swings, unoccupied as the sun began to set, the cool air soothing me from my heated emotions. I inhaled a deep breath as my thoughts moved onto Shane.

What was the deal with the guy?

I mean seriously?

One minute he's a complete ass, someone I would quite happily push out of a plane forgetting to attach a parachute, yet now miraculously after a couple of days with the silent treatment and a few stern words from yours truly he has transformed into a tolerable and somewhat pleasant guy.

I hated him.

I hated his incapability to be nice, to hold a conversation that wasn't one worded or that revolved around himself.

But the word hated is past tense.

Now?

I'm confused about him.

I look at him, and I smile.

I think about him, and I smile.

He makes me flirt with an illegal minor and rap the McDonalds rap at a drive thru, and I smile.

I'm happy when I'm around him, but I can't ignore the nagging feeling at the back of my brain, warning me that there's more than meets the eye with this situation.

Was this all one giant ploy?

But what for?

He said he didn't want me to be his PA anymore?

So what would he gain from it?

Whatever it was. I needed to figure it out, and fast before I say or do something I live to seriously regret.

-

* * *

A week had passed since my mother turned up at my doorstep and a lot had happened in those seven days.

For instance one third of connect 3 is no longer single.

No, and before you jump to conclusions, I'm not dating Shane

Caitlyn on the other hand is officially smitten by the youngest member.

And let me tell you, it was by far the most unrehearsed, hilarious and incoherent declaration of feelings I had ever witnessed.

Yep, I witnessed it.

_Flashback-_

Caitlyn and I were sitting at home on Wednesday evening watching old box sets of Will & Grace, because we were that cool, when there was a knock of the door. Revealing Nate shaking violently, as is he was freezing.

"Nate are you okay?" I asked concerned, the expression across his face was one as if he had seen a ghost

"Err...yeah, i'm fine, yeah totally fine, never better, Oh Hey look there's Caitlyn! Hi-I Caitlyn"

I raised an eyebrow at him, either Nate has formed turrets or he has a serious set of nerves going on right about now.

"What do we owe this pleasure for at...11:46pm?" I questioned, as I ushered him into the apartment

"Can I speak to Caitlyn?" his voice was cracking left right and centre and his cheeks were currently displaying a crimson colour.

I nodded "Sure"

I just stood at the doorway perplexed at why Nathaniel Grey, the serious and most confident member of Connect 3 was currently stumbling over to the couch shaking like a maniac

Was he drunk?

No he was 17 for crying out loud, and he wouldn't dare touch intoxicating substances. At least I think he wouldn't

Oh god, was he high?

Surely he can't be high

Does he even know the sort of drugs that get you high?

He sat down and faced Caitlyn who was mirroring an expression fairly similar to mine

"Caitlyn, can I, like ask you a question?" he asked nervously

"Sure Nate" she nodded "You don't need to ask my permission to ask me a question"

"Oh" he said quietly "Okay, sorry, well err..." he stopped, looking around the room for a second before his gaze returned to Caitlyn "Well, you know how we like know each other... and stuff."

She nodded

"And like how we talk...and like hang out, Like Disney land that was cool wasn't it? Like we talked and hung out and stuff"

"Yeah Nate that's what friends do" she said obviously not seeing where this as going, although I had to stifle back a laugh, I knew exactly where this was heading.

"Yeah Friends" he nodded violently "friends like each other don't they? As in they care..."

"Oh Nate spit it out already" I shouted from the corner, trying to prevent him from embarrassing himself further

"Sorry! I guess I'm trying to ask you, no I'm telling you, that's right I'm telling you that I ...like you"

She smiled slightly "well that's nice of you to say that Nate I like you too, your cool, but I don't see why you couldn't tell me that tomorrow"

I rolled my eyes

"No" he shook his head before breathing in deeply "I like you, would you like to go on a date with me sometimes, you don't have to, I'm not forcing you, oh my god, I'm a fool"

Caitlyn just laughed "Of course I would you idiot"

-

* * *

And the rest is history

Nate gained composure- eventually

And their date went swimmingly, much like mine and Shane's friendship...or acquaintance, I don't know what we were; all I knew was that the more time I spent with him, the odder I was feeling.

I think I may need to go to the doctors.

I'm having terrible knee troubles

They keep buckling

And I think I'm getting a fever as well.

My palms are always sweaty and my pulse increases at times as well.

Like now for instance.

I'm sitting in the Grey's recording studio, finishing my song for their tour as Shane created a melody for it. Yet when I brought pen to paper I couldn't write. My hand was shaking, and the pen kept slipping out of my hand.

"How's the song coming along?" he asked casually, his guitar propped up on his knee. I raised my head from my note pad and looked at him

I opened my mouth to reply, yet the words wouldn't flow out like they usually do, instead they stuttered out in a complete mess "I-I- err yeah, song, song good."

My face flushed bright red as I quickly looked back down hiding my embarrassment.

I heard him get up off of his stool as he made his way over to me and sat down opposite. I raised my head cautiously, my eyes meeting with his concerned ones

"Are you feeling okay? You look a little flushed" he gave my face the once over, a small smile still playing at his lips

"I'm fine" I reassured him, my voice cracking slightly "Why don't we just finish the song off..." I tried to change the subject, as part of me wanted to just get this song out of the way, it was nearly finished, and I can honestly admit it's the best I had created by far. It was a duet, and as I had to be half of that duet, I needed an accomplice.

Nate?

Voice too pitchy for my liking, no offence his voice was damn right sexy but it needed to be smooth, it needed to be... Shane's voice

He sighed "We can do it some other time; I think you should go and lie down for a bit, go crash on my bed, I'll wake you up before the meeting with MTV"

"Your bed?" I asked hesitantly

He nodded "Yeah, try mine for comfort, after all no offence but your bed was uncomfortable as hell"

I got up, trying my best to shake off mental images and innuendos running through my brain,

I opened his door, instantly collapsing as I made contact with his bed.

Oh here I go again with the increased heart rate.

What was wrong with me?

I seriously need to book that doctors appointment.

Something's wrong

I just hope it's not terminal

* * *

**DONE! Well only this chapter lol! Oh mitchie is feeling things. Lalalalala! Sorry if it's a little short but I needed to get some Mitchie feelings spoken, next chapter will have Shane POV and trust me drama is coming their way! As well as a little Naitlyn!**

**I'm at 225 reviews at the moment, 245 before I review, get me to 250 and I'll give you all a nice surprise! **

**Review and tell me your honest opinion**

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	12. Chapter 12

**Hello there everybody, I'm updating again so soon because you are like seriously amazing with the amount of reviews you are giving me. I really can't believe that I've had 257 reviews in 11 chapters, I'm so happy I may cry! I've had the day from hell so please review, and cheer me up! thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but my stories, which you apparently like, and my mother doesn't,she told me so. Sorry for the typo's i havent read this through its 1am**

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SHANE

It's been near enough two weeks since Mitchie and I went through our dramatic phase where we pretty much professed our sobs stories to one another, and it was safe to say she was still a complete mystery to me.

She had told me one of her deepest and most darkening secrets, but besides her quick outburst after her mother showed up, she's given me nothing.

No inkling of emotion

The hard exterior, the barrier, was still there, stopping anyone getting through to her.

But why was _I _so determined for her to open up to me?

Why was _I_ so interested in her in the first place?

These questions whirled through my head on a daily basis, yet I was unable to give myself an answer, there was just something about her, her over confidence, her composure, it just intrigued me.

She had managed to stand up to my previous egotistical self, and put me in my place. I've changed. Not completely, because that would be too hard, there are still times that I want to through a punch at an innocent person, or scream at the top of my lungs because my coffee's wrong. But I've learnt to control it.

Well at least so far I have.

I've learnt to restrain myself from letting out my emotions.

Just like Mitchie.

But was she simply refraining from letting them out...or was she scared?

She was a closed book.

A mystery.

I sat back, pushing the coffee cup from hand to hand on the oak table, as the clock ticked away, getting closer and closer to nine.

An ungodly hour.

But apparently Mitchie had some sort of announcement to make. When Nate got the text last night from her saying she wanted to meet us at the recording studio earlier than scheduled to tell us something, several scenarios went through my mind. Was she quitting? Was she in need of a raise? I even thought...

No I'm not going to say it.

It's embarrassing.

Look it was late and my mind wasn't functioning properly...so don't judge

Okay, so maybe I thought that there was slim chance that she would like... I don't know, profess her feelings for me.

Look as I said, I was tired, I obviously wasn't thinking straight, She didn't like me like that, hell she could barely tolerate me, and I didn't like her like that.

Did I?

No...Yes...maybe... I don't know.

She was on my mind a lot, not constantly, but enough to start questioning why this was the case. Whenever I was in the same room as her, I found my gaze resting on her a little too often. Her mood affected me, if she was sad, so was I, and if she was happy I was ecstatic.

But as I said, she doesn't think of me that way, I could barely call our relationship a friendship, so progression towards something not so platonic, was a no go.

But that doesn't mean I had to stop wishing.

I was knocked out of my mindless day dreaming as I heard the door creak open, my gaze as well as my brothers instantly shooting towards the door.

I watched as she entered the room, dressed in formal attire as she embarked on another day for working for my brothers...and me. Even though I stated that I didn't want her working for me, she still did, and I didn't argue. It just gave me more time to slowly pick away at the outer shell, that was preventing the real Mitchie from coming out.

She came in wearing the biggest smile on her face as she sat down opposite us

"Bonjour my dear friends" she greeted, laying her planner and notes on the desk.

"Someone was a little too upbeat today" I observed out loud, causing a quick glare from Nate's direction

"Well I am, because I finally finished the song!" she exclaimed, waving the tattered piece of paper in the air

All of our faces lit up with interest "Well don't just sit there, let us hear it" Nate practically screeched out. He had been waiting on the edge of his seat for the past few weeks for Mitchie to finish this song; he was desperate for some new material, something from a different perspective, something with a bit of spunk.

Truth be told, we were all pretty fed up with the cookie cutter, censored, happily ever after lyrics, our label had been forcefully guiding us towards for the past four years. We wanted to sing about something real, something relatable.

She rolled her eyes "God give me a chance, I've only been here what...30 seconds?"

"Well that's 30 seconds which you should have been singing" Nate shot back playfully.

She sighed in defeat as she got up and grabbed my guitar from the corner of the room. I felt a small sense of anger bubble up inside me, no one, and I repeat no one touches my guitar.

I bit my lip as I inhaled deeply, calming my nerve as Nate and Jason watched Mitchie wide eyed, not believing what they had just saw. They slowly and cautiously turned their heads towards me, their mouths open slightly. I gave them a tight lipped smile, indicating that I was okay; only causing their mouth's to fall open further

"What the hell?" Jason muttered confused, in which I simply replied with a short laugh

Mitchie took a deep breath as she propped my guitar up on her knee, resting the pick between her fingers "Err, well this is called story of my life"

She began strumming softly on the guitar, the calming melody filling up the room as she began to sing

_You say it was like this  
I was torn between 2 worlds  
One full of promise  
And the truth I knew would hurt  
You say I'm no angel  
Tryin to put the past behind_

_So now I try to find  
A place to leave all  
Memories in my mind  
We try, our lives away  
Then stumble into the grave  
We cry, and still they say  
The past won't go away  
The story of my life_

_See I was just thinkin  
Now my life is on the road  
The straight and the narrow  
On the route that I've been showed  
You know it's not easy  
To try to change your ways_

_So now I try to find  
A place to leave all  
Memories in my mind  
We try, our lives away  
Then stumble to the grave  
We cry, and still they say  
The past won't go away  
The story of my life_

_A place to leave all  
Memories in my mind  
We try, our lives away  
Then stumble to the grave  
We cry, and still they say  
The past won't go away  
The story of my  
Try, our lives away  
Then we stumble to the grave  
We cry, and still they say  
The past won't go away  
The story of my life_

I sat there somewhat perplexed at her song, her choice of words, the possible meanings hidden underneath the meaningful lyrics, even the melody.

She was opening up, she was expressing her pain and emotions of what she was put through, via this song, and it made me smile a little inside knowing that I was the only other person in the room that knew that.

But it wasn't just that.

The song fitted my life, to a tee.

My split life, the world of fame and fortune and the world where Shane Grey, is just Shane.

The room had been silent for a good twenty seconds, before Mitchie scrunched up her face and closed her eyes

"Oh god" she muttered "you hated it" she cursed under her breath, as her eyes remained closed. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as I looked between my two brothers, their expressions unreadable

"I loved it" I spoke up, breaking the silence.

She cautiously opened her eyes "Really?" she asked hopefully, I nodded, nudging Nate under the table

"It was great Mitch, just what we need, something that's got some real meaning to it" Nate added, causing a large smile to spread across her features.

I felt my heart skip a beat at the sight, causing me to grip onto the table, startled...what the hell...

I shook it off; trying my best to put it at the back of my mind "The fans are going to love it"

"You think?" she still asked unsure, even if she appeared confident, it was apparent that her insecurities liked to make an appearance every now and again

"Totally, although we need to come up with a routine seeming as the tours just around the corner"

"When are we leaving?" she asked slightly apprehensively,changing the subject

"In a week" Nate confirmed "5 long months on the road, jetting across the world, starting in the UK, then through Europe, Asia, Australia, South America then finishing up eventually in Canada"

"Woah" she breathed out "The furthest I've been from home...is well here" she admitted sheepishly "And that wasnt exactly for pleasure..."

"You'll love it, we'll take you to all the sights...big ben, eiffel tower...great wall..." I exclaimed, already getting excited by the prospect of spending 5 months in close proximity to her. Yet her face fell

"What's wrong?" Jason asked concerned, noticing her change in mood

"It's just...what about Caitlyn?I'v only just realised i'm going to be leaving her alone in a city she barely knows"

"OH MY GOD SHES TOTALLY RIGHT!" Nate practically shouting, jumping up out of his seat, "What am I going to do without her for the next...20 weeks?" his face turned pale as an idea popped into my head

"Well she could always be our personal stylist, that gives us an excuse to bring her along, plus it gives Mitchie some female company" I suggested, internally high fiving myself at my pure genius

Mitchie jumped up and ran over to my side of the table, practically throwing herself at me, wrapping her arms around me tightly "Thank you, thank you, thank you, You're amazing!" she muttered into my shoulder.

I felt instantly comfortable with her small frame wrapped tightly around mine, as if two puzzle pieces had been put together. I gladly accepted the embrace, pulling away slightly after a few seconds to prevent any accusations coming my way from my brothers later on

"No problem, plus she seems pretty cool, if not a little crazy"

"Seriously Shane you're the man" Nate commented, colour returning to his pasty face

Why thank you. I love inflating my ego.

My favourite past time.

Shane Grey. The genius.

"Ah! I can't wait to tell her!" Mitchie squealed

"Why don't we take the rest of the day off and go chill back at your place, I want to see her reaction" I suggested.

Yet again. Just another ploy to spend more time with her.

I was pathetic. I needed to grow a pair and pursue whatever these feelings I think I have towards her. If any.

-

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We arrived at Mitchie's apartment not long after, Nate jumping up and down in the passenger seat, still on cloud nine from the prospect of having his newly instated girlfriend on tour with us

"Caitlyn!" Mitchie shouted as we entered the apartment to an empty living room "Yo Cait, get your ass in here I've got something to tell you"

"What?!" her voice called from another room "Oh my god you bed a grey didn't you" she said as she came into the room, throwing her hand to her mouth as soon as she saw the three of us standing there.

I looked towards Mitchie, who was currently narrowing her eyes towards her, her face as red as a tomato, what did she mean 'bed a grey'?

"Oh sorry, you know figure of speech" she tried to correct herself, yet had none of us fooled

Mitchie laughed nervously "Yeah, girl slang"

"So err what did you need to tell me?"

"I think you should take a seat" I replied

Caitlyn shot uneasy glances between the four of us who were standing around her, trying to keep a straight face

"C'mon guys just spit it out, you're scaring me"

"Well..." Nate begun

"You know how the guys have their hour" Mitchie continued

"And how we leave in a week for five months "Jason added

"And that I have to go with them"

Caitlyn nodded.

"That means we're gunna have to find a house sitter"

"What?" she asked confused "No we don't, I'll be here"

Mitchie shook our head "That's where you're mistaken, after all Connect 3 couldn't go on tour without their new stylist"

Caitlyn sat silent for a few seconds as her brain tried to process all the information she was given before her eyes widened to the size of plates

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

Mitchie nodded as Caitlyn leapt of the chair

"Are you shitting me?" she asked in disbelief "cos you know Mitchie, I don't like it when people pull my chain"

Mitchie laughed "No one's pulling your chain Caity, we're going on tour with connect 3!"

"AHHHHHH!" they both squealed, hugging on another, experiencing a fan girl moment, before composing themselves

Caitlyn walked towards Nate, wrapping her arms around his waist "Was this all your idea?"

Nate shook his head smiling "Nope it was Shane's"

She whipped her head around to face me "You!" she exclaimed "As in Shane Grey?"

"Err well that's my name" why was this such a surprise? I can do nice things...

"Well, err, thanks" she shot me a genuine smile "So who fancies watching a movie?"

"Me!" we all simultaneously exclaimed

"SHOT GUN ON CHOICE" Jason exclaimed.

Shit.

It was going to be finding nemo.

Again.

We all crammed on her sofa, the five of us sandwiched together between a heap of cushioned fabric, with a few blankets draped across ourselves. But I wasn't complaining, I was currently sandwiched between the arm rest and Mitchie.

I tried my upmost to keep my attention on the film currently playing on the television, as interesting as an animated fish was, yet the vanilla scent of her shampoo was intoxicating me, filling my senses. I felt her head drop and rest onto my shoulder as she nuzzled closer to me, obvious that she was falling asleep.

She obviously wasn't a fan either.

I turned my head slightly, to steal a glance at her, her soft brown waves cascading down her face, acting as a curtain as her breathing evened out, signalling that she had fallen asleep.

I gently and inconspicuously pushed he locks out of her face, smiling to myself in the process.

Oh I was in way over my head.

This was not good.

Maybe the whole close proximity thing was going to cause more harm than good.

Queue teenage hormones.

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**that was so bad. i give up lol.**

**Anyway that's that chapter finished with. IT WAS AWFUL. I just wanted to get them on tour, then the close proximity will cause close feelings and a lot of drama, it'll be good. I'm at 257 reviews at the moment I'd love to be at 275 by the time I update, try and get me some more!**


	13. Chapter 13

**I'll tell you something, this chapter has been the hardest to write so far! Why you ask? Because I had/have no idea when I want to good stuff to kick in and when I say good stuff I mean that inevitable smitchie fluff lol.I have literally wrote this chapter out 4 times, all with different scenarios but this one I will post, merely for the fact that I can't be bothered ha-ha! So enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and I'm sorry about typo's I'm so tired its untrue! its 2:52 am can you blame me?!**

**IMPORTANT! PLEASE VOTE FOR ME IN OCRA (OFFICIAL CAMP ROCK AWARDS) IF YOU THINK I'M GOOD ENOUGH, YOU WOULD MAKE MY LIFE.**

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It's been a week since we packed up and shipped off from our small two bedroom apartment in the heart of LA to embark on a 5 month world tour with the hottest boy band on the face of the planet. Not to mention number's #1,#2 and #3 in America's hottest teen stars

And trust me, there was bitter feelings floating around earlier today when I picked up the magazine off of a stand, in fact, it resulted in Shane locking himself in his adjoining hotel room for the best part of three hours. That's right; Mr. Diva came out to play. And what a joy that was.

All because he was #2.

And Nate was #1.

Poor Jason didn't even care that he was #3; in fact he was so oblivious as to why the hell they were being numbered in the first place. He just sat back grinning like a Cheshire cat as he read an article about 'what women want' and trust me, even at the age of 21, I think some of the content in that magazine was a tad too...experimental for his...simple mind structure.

Nate on the other hand, well let's just say, I brought the article back to the hotel 5 hours ago and he's been continually doing a victory dance ever since, in fact that's a lie, he did stop for all of 15 minutes whilst he rushed down to the local convenience store to purchase a gold frame to frame the article in.

And as for Mr Second Best himself, we'll he's currently writing an email of complaint to the British magazine.

"Shane, honestly, this won't change anything" I sighed as I watched over his shoulder as he typed the long aggressive letter on his laptop

He kept his eyes fixated on the screen "Yes it will! I'm Shane Grey for crying out loud, I accepted being beaten by Chris Pine in people's top 100, but to be beaten by Nate!? My scrawny pubescent brother, nah uh, don't think so, it's obviously a mistake either that or the world is going crazy!"

I rolled my eyes, surely he should be honoured to make the list, not to mention being recognised as an international sex symbol, but then again that was undeniable...

"What exactly do you think they're going to do Shane, reprint the issue again?" I shot back sarcastically

His head snapped around, a smirk spreading across his lips "Ah Mitchie you're a genius! That's exactly what I'll get them to do"

My eyes widened "what?! No! I was joking Shane, you can't demand a national magazine to reprint hundreds of thousands of issues due to your ego being slightly battered"

He was unbelievable.

"Why not?" he asked oblivious to how outrageous he sounded

"Because" I began protesting "Because it's ridiculous, so what if Nate was voted hotter than you, I know that you're the hottest one really!"

As soon as those words left my lips I clamped my mouth shut, my cheeks flushing red, oh god I did not just say that. I did not just admit that I thought Shane was the hottest guy on the planet.

Oh god I did.

Truth be told, it is becoming more and more of a struggle to refrain myself from making inappropriate comments, what I once thought as an observation of his looks has somehow, strangely, escalated into a full blown crush.

I shouldn't be seeing Shane in a non platonic way, I shouldn't even be friends with the guy, it just confuses the shit out of me how much someone can change in such a small time period. And what makes it even weirder is just how close we had become.

I know it's wrong to have favourites, but since day one I had taken a shining to Nate, after all who wouldn't he was the perfect friend; caring, supportive, strong, rich, talented and yeah good looking. But now that top spot has be claimed by his slightly older brother, but by no means more mature brother.

We were literally inseparable. Sure we had our petty disagreements as I tried to contain his egotistical ways to a relatively low level and yeah sometimes his vanity got a little intolerable but it was amazing just how much we had in common with one another.

Besides Nate and Caitlyn were practically joined at the hip 24/7 making out and Jason was playing the Sims3 so it wasn't like I had much choice.

A smug smile took to Shane's lips as he raised an eyebrow "so you think I'm hot aye?"

My expression fell as I tried to cover up my internal battle of lust and embarrassment, with Caitlyn's constant perverted remarks, I couldn't help but begin to wonder Shane and I in certain...predicaments

"Err...no?"

"Ha! You so do!" he jumped up off the sofa, putting the laptop down on the nearest table before breaking out in a small dance "Mitchie thinks I'm sexxxxxxxxyyyyyyyyyy" he said in a sing song voice

I was about to defend myself, most likely throwing back a pathetic reply, yet was thankfully interrupted by the entrance of Nate, Caitlyn and Jason

"We're bored!" Nate announced, looking at me with a slightly perplexed expression "You okay Mitchie, you look a little flustered, are you feeling well?" his voice full of concern

Shane scoffed and laughed as I quickly brushed Nate off "No I'm fine, honestly!" I nodded trying to look as convincing as possible, yet Caitlyn just looked at me with a knowing look. I hate how she could read me with such ease.

"So...err...you're bored?" I changed the subject "and you guys haven't got a show tonight, what do you want to do?"

Nate sighed, plopping himself down onto the sofa pondering thought for a second as he ran a hand threw his curls "I can't be bothered to go out, I love London and everything but I swear to god if I get mobbed by one more crazy English girl I will shave my hair off!"

"NOO!" Jason exclaimed wide eyed and shocked, we all shot him a look to which he simply grinned and shrugged

"Anyway" Nate continued "How about we just order in a load of food, rent a couple of movies and have a movie marathon whilst putting on 20 lbs?"

We exchanged glances between the five of us, all nodding in agreement

"SHOT GUN FIRST MOVIE!" Shane shouted running into his room, scrambling through his suitcase before running back in with a film in his hand.

"Die hard 4.0?" I asked in which he nodded "Aw hell yeah! I love a bit of Justin long!"

I watched as Shane's body stiffened a little, his lips forming into a thin line.

"Sorted!" Nate clapped his hands together "Everyone to their retrospective rooms, get changed, round up some nosh and meet back here stat!"

We stumbled and hurried to our rooms as I flung off my skinny jeans and tank top, replacing it with a pair of sweats and a Connect 3 hoodie, that's right connect 3.

Oh the perks of being on tour with them

Free merchandise. And lots of it

You name it, we had it. Car stickers, buttons, toothpaste (yes, toothpaste), hair scrunchies, it was ridiculous! The means people would go too to make money!

I bent down, pulling my pink suitcase out from under the bed, unzipping it in the process as I rummaged to the bottom, pulling out my secret stash of food.

When I say food, I mean Galaxy chocolate.

This was my first time abroad, therefore first time in England, and all I can say is that I have been deprived of the world's best chocolate for the past 18 years of my life. No joke I literally brought a crate.

I struggled fitting them all into my grasp as I made my way back into the living room section of the hotel suite to find that Nate and Caitlyn had already, with Jason sprawled lazily on the one seater

"Guys" I whined "Where the hell am I supposed to crash?"

"On the floor, Shane hasn't got a seat, use him as a mattress" Caitlyn said finishing her sentence with a wink, I swear if looks could kill...

I sighed in defeat as I threw myself to the floor, grabbing a pillow and propping it behind my head as I tried to stay a comfortable distance from Shane.

The movie began as everyone quietened down the only noise to be heard was the rustling of sweet wrappers and the odd comment thrown in my Jason who was struggling to come to grasps with the concept.

What concept?

I was just watching Justin long.

Sue me.

-

I was deeply engrossed in a fighting scene when I felt Shane's presence next to me as he lowered his face to my ear "You know I don't think they liked the movie"

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as I pulled away slightly so I could look at him, what the hell was he on about?

"What?" I whispered out, matching his previous volume.

He brought a finger to his lip, indicating for me to be quiet as he pointed up to the sofa. I lifted myself up, turning my head around to notice Nate and Caitlyn, fast asleep along with Jason; all three of their mouths open slightly.

I let out a silent laugh as I rolled my eyes, before facing Shane again

"Typical" I said quietly "Nate suggests this movie marathon and we can't even last till...9:45 pm!"

"Oh I know, Nate never can stay up late unless his body is pumped to the max with diet coke, I swear he literally runs on the stuff"

"So now what, its barely a party with just us two" I commented noticing the credits were now rolling

He shrugged lightly readjusting himself so he was sitting crossed legged facing me "How about we play an in depth game of twenty questions, unless you suggest something better?"

"I'm game. But I have a few ground rules. We ask a question at a time, and we have to be completely truthful, otherwise the other has to do a dare"

"So basically its truth or dare" Shane concluded

I shook my head lightly "Nope. More like Truth or liar gets a dare"

"Okay"

"I'll go first!" I exclaimed a little too loudly as I readjusted myself to face Shane, causing Jason to stir slightly "If you could be anyone for the day who would it be?"

"Oh that's easy! Barack Obama, because he gets the ladies"

"But he's married" I stated

"Oh but if he wasn't he'd be such a player! he's like a political hugh heffner"

I raised an eyebrow "Okay you're go"

"If you could have a one night stand with anyone who would it be?" he leaned back, looking pleased with his question thinking i would struggle to answer

"Oh that's easy, Ashton Kutcher, god the things I'd do to that man, he is wasted on demi Moore." his eyes widened slightly at my ease with the question. It was no secret that i had the hots for Mr Kutcher, nor was i shy with my imagination when he was involved.

"What are you thinking about right now?" I asked,

"Err..." he hesitated "a person" he said "a girl." He faced turned red slightly

"Care to elaborate?" i asked, all of a sudden intrigued, Shane Grey, thinking about a girl,probably that ex of this... or one of them, theres been so many

"Nope because that's another question!"

"Fine" I sighed, knowing he was right "your turn"

He pondered though for a second "So do you really think I'm hot?"

Oh you bastard.

A few seconds had passed and had yet to give him an answer "c'mon Mitchie, unless you're to chicken..."

"Okay, yeah I think you're hot! Who wouldn't have you seen you lately? I'd shake your parent's gene's hands any day," I admitted, saying a little too much. I brought my gaze to my lap feeling embarrassed.

He placed two fingers under my chin, lifting it up until I was looking at him "Good" he said with a slight nod "Because I think you're beautiful"

I blink viciously a few times as I replayed his last sentence through my head "what?" I asked completely taken back"

He removed his hand from under my chin and placed it on my left cheek, his touch causing my skin to tingle "I said you're beautiful"

I gulped hard as both our bodies stilled as our eyes locked with one another; the only thing I could feel or hear was the rapid beating him my chest, racing at a million miles per hour. I searched his eyes for something, anything, yet they continued to bore into mine. The close proximity between us causing my stomach to erupt with butterflies as his head tilted to the left before inching closer to mine.

My brain malfunctioned as I found myself leaning in also, the quite snores of our friends trying to tell my brain that they are still in the room, that they could wake up any moment. But it wasn't receiving the message

I felt a slight shiver run down my spine as I could feel his warm breath tickling against my skin, this moment happening excruciatingly slowly. I pursed my eyes shut, preparing myself as I felt his lips come in contact with mine, instantly moulding into mine with perfection.

I knew this was wrong, but why the hell wasn't I stopping it, I could pull away, but I didn't, I just found myself running my tongue against his bottom lip, begging for entrance, which he gladly granted.

He leaned forwarded causing me to arch myself back towards the floor until he was literally on top of me, propped up on his arms. before i could register what was going on, both of us were hungrily attacking one anothers mouths, fighting for dominance, our strong and stubborn personalities coming to light. i let out a moan as i brought my arms up and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him closer, this wasnt like me, i was never so...confident when it came to making out with guys. It was always about being soft but with Shane agression seemed right.

I pulled away reluctantly, now realising that air was a necessity, my lips tingling once detached from his. He lifted himself up slightly, as his gaze never left mine. He searched my face, looking for a reaction, to read my expression, but I gave him nothing.

Or at least I prayed I didn't, yet the tugging at the corner of my mouth was telling me otherwise. I reverted my gaze from his eyes to his lips to see that he too was smiling.

Uh Oh.

Oh shit.

I've just entered dangerous territory with none other than Shane Grey.

Oh strike me down.

**So there you go, it was pretty much a filler chapter and I absolutely hated it but I wanted to give you guys an update. I hope you like it! Anyway I have a joint account with two other amazing ff writers, our account is called Team Laurcolesty and we have a new FF challenge going on over there! Head over and check it out please!**

**Wow 30 reviews for the last chapter!**

**I'm at 287 right now, go on, get me to 300! Do it! Love you!**

**RIP MICHAEL JACKSON 1958-2009**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys, I'm back again with yet another chapter for you, I haven't got a lot to say except I've had the worst week ever, and I'd love for you to cheer me up. Oh and if you think I'm worthy/ good enough please nominate me in the OCRA, you have no idea how much it would mean to me.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, apologies for typos. Its 2:16 and i promised Kirsty that i'd post this before i went to sleep which ideally should have been 3 hours ago**

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Mitchie-

My body was frozen, my arms still hooked around his neck, as I just continued to stare, my gaze burning into his brown orbs. My head was reeling with the events from the last few minutes, how the hell...

How did I....

Why did I...

I let my arms drop from around his neck to the floor with a light thud, as I attempted to turn my gaze somewhere else, but I couldn't, my eyes were fixated with his. I must have looked ridiculous, lying there as stiff as a board, my eyes open with alert and I was pretty sure my lips were swollen. I wanted to speak, to compose a decent coherent sentence, but I couldn't, my mouth opened more before closing again.

What am I supposed to say?

I had just had a heated make out session with Shane Grey.

Shane freaking Grey.

No freaking words could describe that.

Shane's eyebrows furrowed as he leaned back, sitting with his legs crossed, obviously perplexed by my silence. I cautiously lifted myself up, leaning against the back of the sofa, my eyes finally daring to depart his.

"Mitchie" his voice broke me out of my clouded thoughts. I didn't dare look at him as I felt my cheeks flush "Mitch, say something" he quietly begged as I felt him rest a hand upon my knee. His touch burnt my skin, a pang of electricity shooting through me,

This wasn't supposed to happen. I didn't sign up for this, I certainly didn't plan for this, I didn't want this!

I didn't...

I-I did.

I was supposed to hate the guy only a matter of inches away from me, detest his very presence, I should have to gulp down the bile every time I see him. It was how things were meant to be. We clashed, we're were chalk and cheese. We didn't mix, we shouldn't mix.

My head was throbbing as I refused to answer him, my brain spinning as I fought with my emotions and my better judgement. I could feel his gaze burning into the side of my head, making me feel uncomfortable under his gaze. I swatted his hand away with mine before leaping to my feet with haste, no longer caring if I woke up someone in the process

Hell, I'd love for someone to wake up right now and save me, but no, they had to remain dead to the world.

I scrambled my way through the main room to the suite down the hall to the room I had claimed my own for the three nights we were staying in London, shutting my door as soon as I could.

At this moment in time I must have looked ridiculous, absolutely fucking mental. Who the hell makes out with the likes of Shane Grey then hastily runs off and locks herself away?

Me, that's who, Fucking Mitchie Torres.

I leaned against the door, repeatedly banging my head lightly against the plank of varnished wood, as I let my knees buckle, causing me to slid down the door. I brought my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them as I looked towards the ceiling.

I wanted to pull my hair out; I was frustrated, flustered and darn right confused. It was no secret to anyone that my feelings for the singer had been harbouring for a good few weeks now, my stupid child like crush slowly escalating into a full blown infatuation, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine _this_ would happen.

My feelings were supposed to be bottled up inside of me, to be known by no one else but me, slowly filling me up like a balloon full to capacity. It was supposed to just be a crush, a quick phase I'd soon pass before swooning over someone else.

He wasn't supposed to lie to me. I wasn't supposed to believe his stupid lies. I wasn't beautiful. I wasn't anything, I was plain. Plain, mundane, simple Mitchie Torres. I have nothing going for me for crying out loud.

He probably used that line on everyone, that Shane Grey charm everyone goes on about, that had to be it, there's just no way that he could...that he could feel anything for me other than hatred or something platonic.

"Argh!" I let out a frustrated screech. I was a wreck. Why was nothing ever simple, why did guys always have to complicate things?

How did I go from personal assistant to sworn enemy to friend to this...some spontaneous unexplained kiss?

Don't get me wrong, the kiss was...heck it was freaking amazing, I may not be an expert in the kiss department but that was fucking great.

And that's the problem.

Right there in a nutshell.

I liked it.

I freaking liked it. I should have stopped it, prevented all of this confusion and frustration, but no, I initiated the kiss to go from just some spare of the moment peck to a dominating make out session.

I had ruined everything.

Things would be different now, I was sure of it. Would he regret it, act like it never happened? Would he be as equally confused as I was?

Would he tell Nate and Jason?

Oh god. Nate and Jason.

No.

They couldnt know

Caitlyn was not getting wind of this; I swear to god the taunting would never end.

I had to talk to him, that stupid inevitable talk you dread yet know you have to go through to put your mind at ease.

Urgh, stupid fucking gorgeous Shane Grey.

-

* * *

SHANE

My eyes widened with utter disbelief as she ran out the room. I had finally found a way to pluck up the courage and admit to myself and her that I liked her. That I _did_ think she was beautiful, inside and out. And then she runs out on me, well that's after the kiss. I don't know what possessed me to lean in, in the first place, but I'm glad I did, it confirmed all the feelings my heart was trying to tell my brain.

Ever since I first set eyes on her at our office I was automatically drawn to her, not necessarily in the best way, but I couldn't keep away. I sub conciously always found a way to get to her, to be near her, even if I was a selfish egotistical jerk at the time.

I acted like a typical child with their first ever crush, I'd play the 'mean' card, bully them to convince myself that I couldn't like her, that I didn't want to. But as time went on I realised I was no longer able to hide behind that exterior.

She had single handily snapped me out of my egotistical trance, something dozens of people had been attempting to do for years, and she managed to do it in a space of a few minutes, her words hitting me like a ton of bricks, making me realise just how much of an ass I've been acting towards the people I care about.

Anyone would have hated me for what I've said and done to her in the short space I've known Mitchie, but she didn't, she gave me the benefit of the doubt, after everything, and agreed to become my friend

As each day passed I found myself spending more and more time with her, and when I wasn't I found myself silently pining for her. It was crazy; I had never been so hooked on a girl before that I was practically running on thoughts of her.

Song ideas were running like water, with Nate being completely infatuated on Caitlyn and me secretly with Mitchie, songs were flying out all over the place.

Sure the kiss was an impulse but it wasn't unplanned, I was going to do it, I knew that much but it was all about finding the perfect moment and that simply struck me as the only time I could. The kiss was all I had imagined, if not surpassing its expectations, hell I wouldn't have minded if Nate and Jason had woken up and seen the free show, at that moment in time I was completely mesmerized by her.

I found myself at her door, my fist repeatedly coming in contact with the wood as I waited for a reply "Mitch?" I whisper shouted, not wanting to wake her up if she had fallen asleep "Mitch?"

No answer.

I knocked one final time, ready to give up and wallow in my own self pity, yet was surprised to see the door swing open, revealing Mitchie staring at me through slightly bloodshot eyes.

"Hi" I greeted sheepishly as she stepped aside ushering me into her room, closing the door gently behind me. I perched myself on the edge of the bed, watching her as she sat beside me staring directly in front of her

"Hi" she finally spoke up after a while, her voice slightly hoarse as it rang through the hotel room

I inhaled deeply, knowing that I had to make the first move "About what happened earlier-"

"-It was a mistake, yeah I get it" Mitchie interrupted in a sad voice

"What?"I exclaimed a little too loudly "No, it wasn't a mistake, well at least not on my part, did you regret it?" my voice trailing off as I tried to mentally prepare myself for rejection.

She turned her head towards me slowly as she barely shook her head "No...I don't know maybe" she sighed "i-i, why Shane?? Why did you kiss me?"

"Because I like you Mitchie, I'm still surprised I can function because my mind is constantly filled by you. And the thing is, you don't realise how amazing you actually are, and I couldn't deny it any longer."

She took in a sharp intake of breath causing her to gasp slightly "_You_ like _me? _Me?"

I nodded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, why was it so hard to believe, why was she always so tough on herself

"You shouldn't" she concluded "you shouldn't like me, I'm damaged goods, we're not even supposed to be friends Shane" she practically whined as she ran her hands through her already dishevelled hair

I couldn't take her negativity any longer; I had to shut her up.

I leaned forwards, crashing my lips upon hers instantly silencing her, her body stiffened from the shock as she didn't respond for a split second. Oh god. I was about to pull away, now wanting to run away myself from the embarrassment yet she began to kiss back, as eagerly if not more than she had the first time. My hands automatically finding their way to her hair.

I pulled away after a while, literally gasping for air "I-I like you Mitchie, and no matter how much you belittle yourself that's not going to change"

I watched her as she tried to calm her panting a small smile tugging at the side of her mouth "you actually like me?"

"For crying out loud woman, yes! I like you! You Mitchie Torres,"

Her smile grew as I took it as a good sign "Good"

"Good?" I questioned, unsatisfied by her answer, is that all she's going to give me, good?

She nodded "Yep! Good!" she exclaimed playfully.

"So what that's it, I admit I like you and all you can say is good?" I was slightly irritated at her vague answer; I had openly admitted my feelings to her for crying out loud

She sighed and rolled her eyes "Nope, if you would let me finish instead of always interrupting me I was going to say I like you too"

My eyes widened as I felt my pulse begin to race, she liked me back, she liked me back!

"Good" I shot back, imitating her,

"But err where does this leave us? I mean nothing can come of it"

My heart fell to the pit of my stomach "What, why not? We like each other, surely that means something"

She sighed "The media Shane. I don't want to be sprawled across every magazine cover, I don't want to be hated by millions of hormonal teenagers of both genders, I don't fancy being an international target. Not to mention Nate, Caitlyn and Jason, we wouldn't hear the end of it, the constant joking and taunting, it would send me crazy. We'd just crumble under everyone's intense gaze, and I'd rather just push my feelings aside than allow myself to get hurt again"

She looked towards her lap, realising she had voiced her insecurities towards relationships, she was still reserved after Ben, not wanting to venture into public relationships whilst feeling so vulnerable

"They don't have to know, neither of them, the press or our friends" I stated

"What?" she furrowed her eyebrows "Are you suggesting we have some sort of secret relationship?"

"I'd prefer to call it more low key. We can go at our own pace, without being influenced by anyone else, we don't have to hear the constant taunting and this way we can still make a go of things, what do you say?"

She grinned like a Cheshire cat "You Shane Grey are an evil genius"

I shrugged "I have my moments"

"Hold on, flaw." She put her hand up to stop be from talking "Won't they notice us getting close?"

Damn. "Shit" I muttered, so much for that idea...

"Well I guess we have to go back to square one then" I looked at her through confused eyes " we have to hate each other again" she winked at me "As far as anyone knows tonight You Shane Grey have just had the biggest fight with me"

I silently laughed, shaking my head "I think you're the evil one here"

She shrugged "Meh, I have my moments" she closed the gap between us, placing a quick kiss on my lips "Now, let's get this thing going, we need to get the hatred rolling...storm out of my room and slam the door"

"But we'll wake them all up!"

"And?" she looked unphazed "then they'll know we've had a fight and therefore hate each other...now go before I change my mind"

I rolled my eyes as I hoisted myself up off of the bed, opening the door before looking back at her and smiled. She simply gave me a wave as I yanked the door behind me causing a loud crash, the door shaking on its hinges

"Dude what the hell!?" a sleepy Nate exclaimed from the living room as I stormed in, a stern expression set across my face

"Mitchie's a fucking bitch"

"Oh God what the hell has happened this time?" he asked rubbing his eyes.

Ha ha

Something tells me this is going to be fun.

* * *

**There you go guys, yet another shitty chapter for you! So they are together, secretly. Ha-ha that'll be fun I can assure you! Secrets always come out though! Please read and review, I'm at 312 at the moment, I'd love to be at 330 by the next chapter**

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**And tell me what you think of this chapter!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Well hello there my lovely people! How are we all today? Good I hope! Anyway I love you, 339 reviews! How amazing is that? I cant get over it, I really cant. So anyway, I'm glad you all liked the last chapter! I thought a secret relationship would be kind of cool! Anyway i shouldnt be updating because i'm supposed to be finishing Kirsty's (mymakeupsmearedeyes) present which is a book of all her ff's but i couldn't help it so here you go!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, apologies for typos its 1:55 am, haha why on earth cant i update at a humane hour?**

**-

* * *

**

MITCHIE

I leaned against the door, my ear pressed intently to the wood, as I listened to the conversation taking place on the other side, my face currently displaying one of the world's goofiest smiles. No joke, i probably looked like some crazed lunatic.

I still couldn't get my head around it, the whole thing, my mind just couldn't seem to place the events leading up to this in the right order, allowing me to make sense of it all.

I was the secret girlfriend, bit on the side, flavour of the week to Shane grey.

Shane grey.

I let out a content sigh, to know that Shane had feelings for me, boosted my low self esteem, making me feel worthy for the first time in a long time. And keeping this from my friends? Well that just added to the excitement

The thrill.

"Mitchie's a fucking bitch" I heard Shane's muffled voice on the other end.

Nicely done Mr Grey. You sound almost convincing. I bring my hand to the brass door handle, opening it ever so slightly so I could hear better

"Oh god" Caitlyn let out an exasperated sigh "What the fuck have you down now?"

Shit, what had 'we' argued over, damn we never thought of that. You better hope to God Shane you think of something convincing and quickly if you ever stand a chance of getting close to me again.

"Me? I've done nothing! She started interrogating me about my personal life, prying into my business so I asked her to stop, then she accused me of being gay!"

HA WHAT? Seriously Shane, seriously? Gay. I let out a soft chuckle as I prepared to intervene knowing that if I let Shane's imagination run wild any longer he may blow our cover

I swung open the door, stomping aggressively through to the living room, my feet thudding against the carpeted surface, to be faced by 3 sleepy faces and an unamused one.

I scoffed loudly "Oh please!" I threw my head back "Interrogating? You were the one who told me it would be near enough impossible for me to find a guy who would want to sleep with me let alone give me the time of day!"

I stepped closer, closing the distance as I poked my finger into his chest, Nate's face looking at us with an opened mouth "And for your information, _pop star_, at least I've gotten laid. For all I know you could be one big pansy, I mean c'mon you use more hair products than a whole salon would consume in a year, not to mention your sense in style. So you better watch your fucking mouth, if you want the option to being able to procreate in the future, because I swear to god I will chop them off and feed them to a herd of coyotes if you so much look at me in the wrong way"

I pushed him away as I tried to keep a straight face, a smirk fighting for a chance to spread across my lips "Got it?" I spat out

he rolled his eyes "Yes Bitchie" and with that he stalked off, leaving me in a room with three very confused yet now very awake friends, shock plastered across all of their faces

"I'm sorry!" Nate threw up his hands in the air "But what the fuck? You guys we're like all chummy like 2 hours ago, and now it's like you've gone back to square one"

Exactly, aim achieved

"He asked for it! Stupid egotistical jerk! To think I even gave him the time of day before. I don't want anything to do with him, from this moment; he is not part of my life"

"But Mitchie-"Jason protested

"No" I interrupted "I don't want to hear it. Me and him were never destined to get on. End of, now sorry to ruin your evening but I'm going to bed, goodnight"

I didn't wait for anyone else to reply or protest, as I turned my back to them, letting a smile appear on my face, this was all too priceless. I threw myself on my bed, grabbing my phone off the side table, opening up the new message tab in a hurried manner

'_Not bad Grey, maybe you can act after all x'_

I barely got a chance to put the phone down before it vibrated, indicating I had a reply

'_Why thank you, you were good as well. Hell, you were terrifying, I may have peed myself a little xx'_

I let out a slight laugh, trust Shane to somehow lower the tone of the conversation, my fingers hurriedly tapped away at the buttons, typing yet another message, a habit I'm sure will become more frequent now

'_Do you think they bought it though? X'_

'_Oh definitely, let the sneaking around begin, sleep tight xx'_

'_Only if you play your cards right, night Shane xx'_

I set my phone down on the table, making sure I had activated the passcode, after all I didn't want nosey Caitlyn, rummaging through my phone to find texts from my apparent enemy.

I snuggled into my duvet, letting my eyes drop almost instantly as I began to dream of the one person who had been dominating my dreams for a while now... Shane.

-

* * *

SHANE

It had been five days since mine and Mitchie's 'bust up' and so far we had successfully convinced everyone around us that we hated one another, but trust me it wasn't easy. We had barely had a chance to be alone together, stealing the odd moment or two in between shows or at night when everyone was asleep, it was tiring, but worth it. Just being able to call Mitchie my girlfriend, even if it's just between us, made the lying and deceiving worth it.

It also didn't help the matter that I found myself completely aroused whenever she got mad, the sinister look upon her face making me want to throw her against a wall with haste. But I had to refrain, well in public I did.

I looked across the room, watching her sneakily as she had her eyes fixated on her songbook, scribbling away with her guitar perched on her lap, just another quality that makes me like her the way I do. I couldn't help but silently pine for her as she bit her lip in concentration, she knew it drove me crazy.

The only other person in the room was Jason, who was far to engrossed in the film he was watching to know what was going on, Nate and Caitlyn had decided to go on a date, well if you call it a date.

I certainly wouldn't. Sorry Nate but I don't think taking your girlfriend to the studio to mix and produce some music is exactly romantic, but hey I'm not complaining, this gives me the perfect opportunity to have my daily dose of Mitchie.

I coughed an exaggerated cough, grabbing the attention of Mitchie who's eyes shot up to meet mine with a soft gaze

I stretched my arms before hoisting myself off of the chair, motioning my head ever so slightly towards my room.

She shot me a knowing look before reverting her gaze back to her note pad. I let myself into my room, perching myself on the edge of my bed as I patiently waited for her.

I knew she wouldn't be long, but the matter of seconds dragged on for what felt like an eternity. My eyes fixated on the door, mentally counting down the seconds until she walked in.

I felt my pulse begin to race tenfold as I noticed the door creak open slightly, revealing a very smug looking Mitchie dressed in a pair of long denim shorts and a graphic tee.

She looked gorgeous

She could be wearing a bin bag and still look breath taking.

She closed the door quietly behind her as I rose to my feet. We both took a step towards each other slowly, our gaze locked before literally throwing ourselves at one another, closing the gap between us in a matter of seconds.

My lips hungrily attacked hers as if I hadn't seen her in years, as she kissed back just as aggressively. She made my head spin. I had kissed my fair share of girls in the past, some of them famous, but never had I been so mesmerized by kissing someone like I was when I was with Mitchie.

I pushed my body closer against hers as she stumbled backwards towards the bed, the back of her knees hitting the end of the bed, causing them to buckle. She fell onto the mattress as I automatically lowered myself in the attempts of keeping our lips attached, now running my tongue slowly along her bottom lip, asking for entrance. I propped myself up on my elbows, my hands finding their way to her hair as I hovered over her. She let a moan escape from her lips as she granted entrance, our tongues instantly battling for dominance.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the heated make out sessions, but I couldn't ignore the nagging feeling at the back of my head questioning all of this.

Not being with mitchie

But the secret relationship

The limited time we could spend together meant our relationship was merely physical. There was no time to talk, hold hands, to just hold one another. It was all about time and how little of it we had.

It was a game, avoiding being caught.

We couldn't talk to one another. When we were together we were physically expressing our emotions, not in the way you think...yet. And when we were surrounded by others we were either ignoring one another or shouting.

I wanted to be able to have conversations with her, to take her on dates, to treat her like a princess, not some piece of meat.

But this is what she wanted. And I respect that. Well I tell myself I do.

Whenever I was with her, I was putty in her hand. She could ask me to jump off a building and I'd simply ask how high.

I was so determined to make a go of this, to finally have a proper relationship where I'm not being used as a fast track way to fame. She understood me, the real me, she knew my darkest secret and my fears and even though we have our disagreements she's still here.

She's different.

Not just a good different, but an amazing different.

She truly was one of a kind. It amazed me how much of a strong person she was, her ability to defend herself to fight for what she believes if right. Even if she had been through a lot recently.

She was still a mystery to me, but that only drew me closer to her, I will break down that barrier.

My mind was thrown back into the kiss as she pulled me down before flipping positions, as I was now laying on the bed. I snaked my arms around her waist, pulling her closer, our bodies literally pressing against one another, that was until.

"Shane, Mitchie, we're home, anybody?" I heard Nate's voice ring through the hotel suite causing me to reluctantly and sharply pull away from Mitchie

"Shit" I heard her mutter.

I jumped off the bed as she followed suit, lunging towards the mirror to assess my hair, which was currently sticking out in all directions. I desperately ran my hands through it, attempting to flatten it, as Mitchie straightened her clothes before sticking her hair up in a messy bun

"Guys? Where are you" this time it was Caitlyn's voice , I quickly glanced at Mitchie, who shrugged, not knowing how to get out of this situation

When it hit me

"What gives you the right to come into my room and take my straightners!" I yelled loudly as I grabbed my GHD's off of my vanity table

"Oh grow up Shane its only a pair of freaking straightners!" she shouted back as the door shot open, revealing a concerned Nate and Caitlyn

Caitlyn sighed "cant you guys not fight for one second?"

"I wouldn't have to fight if she was such an intolerable bitch!"

"And neither would I if he wasn't such a self centred jerk!"

"Me? Look in the mirror! Oh wait don't! You may break it!" no she wouldn't, the mirror doesn't even give her beauty justice, I hadn't throwing insults at her, but if this was the only way of calling her mine, then so be it.

"What mirror? The one shattered on the floor? Damn Shane looks like you beat me to it!"

"ENOUGH" Nate screeched causing us to freeze on the spot "enough" he repeated, his voice lowering in volume " I cant just stand here and watch you two rip each other to shreds! If you haven't got anything nice to say about one another, than please for our sakes just don't say anything at all"

I felt a pang of guilt run through me as I realised how this was effecting the others. I had never kept anything from Nate before, he was my brother I told him anything and everything and it tears me up inside knowing that I'm harbouring something he doesn't know.

But at this moment in time, I couldn't care, the guilt easily vanished as I thought back to the reason why, Mitchie. My feelings for her were progressing as each day passed and I simply couldn't get enough of her. And for that reason, I wouldn't tell Nate

Maybe my priorities we're wrong

Maybe this would all be for nothing

But I'm clinging on to the hope that it will and that one day all these lies and deceiving will be worth it. That we can publically announce our relationship, that I can flaunt Mitchie off, letting the whole world know that she's mine

Until then, I guess leading a double life will have to do.

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**So there you go, now that was a rubbish chapter, I mean c'mon, it was awful, please tell me what you think! I'm at 339 reviews at the moment I'd love to be at 360 by the time I update, it would be amazing!**

**THANKS **


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi guys! Thank you so much for the reviews! I love reading all your reactions to the secret relationship, I love how you all want them to get caught out by Jason or Nate, all I can say is wait and see, there's two ways I could take this so just stay tuned.**

**Oh please check out my new story 'captured secrets' I would love some reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, sorry for the typos, its 00:12 and i havent proof read, wow this is alot earlier than i usually update which is like 3am!**

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* * *

SHANE

"Shane for the love of God will you please just stand still for a second!" I continued to squirm uncomfortably as Caitlyn stood on her knees whilst trying to pin my jeans "I'm not even joking, if I make one false move you will no longer hold the hope of procreating" I gulped harshly as I realised she was right, I focused my gaze from the door to where she was kneeling , her hands equipped with pins as she attempted to fix my jeans, preventing them from ripping mid way through the concert, like last night, trust me, it was not a good look

And I can state for a fact, the fans only like my skinny jeans for one reason, and Caitlyn threatening to harm that reason in any way shape or form, would not only destroy me, but millions of fans on an international scale.

"Fine" I huffed as I stilled, trying to take my mind off of the fact that I currently had a girl kneeling in front of me, I'm a teenage guy, I think these things, all I can say is thank the lord it's not Mitchie. Self control would have been an issue

Whilst we're on the subject of that certain brown haired girl, our relationship was still under wraps, 2 weeks after we decided to embark on this ludicrous journey.

I hated it.

I'm pretty sure I was falling for her

But I hated it.

I know it's contradicting for me to say this, but we got no privacy. Everything was so slap dash, so rushed, unromantic. And I hated it.

Sure I loved the thrill, the excitement, the rush of adrenaline I got when we were so close to getting caught out, but part of me wish we would already. For everything to come out into the open. I didn't want to have to live in secret. To lie to my brothers, but those feelings were seriously outweighed by my love for Mitchie

Love?

Bit of a strong word, don't you agree?

But that's what I think I'm beginning to feel.

If this was nothing, a fling, a quick thrill, I wouldn't have been able to bite my tongue for so long. I wouldn't have stuck around, and I wouldn't be feeling so desperate to exploit ourselves.

Part of me wanted to set us up, make sure Nate walked in on us in the middle of a heated make out session, and as time progressed it was becoming more and more inevitable.

"Done" she exclaimed, getting to her feet "Now you can happily do the splits without showing 85,000 screaming girls your tidy whiteys" she grinned smugly as she gave me a pat on the shoulder

"Ha-Ha" I mock laughed "How very funny of you, and correction, they were not tidy whiteys, they were fitting Calvin Klein briefs, with the aim of maximum support"

She threw her hands up defensively as she scrunched her face up "Too much information! Please! Oh god I think my ears are bleeding!"

I rolled my eyes, letting out a slight chuckle, serves her right for mentioning the ripping of my pants in front of a hoard of fans. Admittedly it was not the first time I had attempted to strut my stuff on stage and had ripped an item of clothing, yet last time it was a shirt.

And I'd rather have tens of thousands of people seeing my torso than my underwear.

And I'm pretty sure the majority of them would as well.

The ones that wouldn't are the one or two types of people in the crowd who love Jason and Nate

The blind

and

The death

There was no way that any capable human being could prefer one of those scrawny bastards compared to me

"You know you love me" she feigned an innocent expression, sticking out her bottom lip, I was about to respond when she continued "it's a shame that I can't say the same about you and Mitchie"

She sat down on the sofa, currently located in the dressing room I was attempting to get ready in as she ran a hand through her curly hair "I don't get it Shane, I really don't, one minute you two are like ying and yang, I mean seriously Nate and I were having bets on how long it would take for you two to hook up, the chemistry between you two was undeniable and then in a matter of minutes you two go back to hating each other. Was the argument that bad that you can't fix things?"

I exhaled deeply, not wanting to get into a full blown discussion over my fake hatred towards Mitchie only a matter of minutes before I was due on stage, in front of 65,000 German fans. "Look, she doesn't like me...I don't like her, and that's that. Maybe she was right, we were never meant to be anything more than enemies" I replied dejectedly as I mentally praised myself for my brilliant lying skills

"But Shane, its obvious that you two are perfect for each other!" she protested, literally jumping out of her seat "Ugh!" she screamed fustratedly "I hate this! I hate how we can't all hang out anymore, how everything's so awkward, this isn't just affecting you, it's all of us! Well besides Jason, he's not really caught on..."

"Shane we need you out here!" I heard the voice of one of the stage director's call from the other side of the door.

"Look Caitlyn-" I begun trying to rush my explanation to her, it wasn't until she had vocalised her hurt towards this situation that I realised that we were being selfish by keeping it to ourselves, we were involuntarily hurting the ones we love the most because we were afraid to let them in.

"No Shane, you get off otherwise Nate will slap you up like a bitch, we'll continue this later" she shot me the most genuine smile she could muster, even though I knew she was disappointed that she had not resolved anything

I curtly nodded as I grabbed my microphone pack off of the dresser and securely tucked it into my back pocket

"Have a great show" she spoke up as I left the room

I turned around and shot her a quick smile "always do." I don't know if I've ever said it before but I liked Caitlyn, she was perfect for Nate. I'm glad that scrawny hormone crazed teen has finally found someone who would put up with him.

I pushed my way through hoard of back stage crew as I made my way to the side of the stage where Jason and Nate were currently tuning their guitars

"Ready to rock?" Nate asked as he saw me

I stuck my thumb up "You know it, although I just have one request"

"What is it?" Nate's curiosity perked up

"I want to perform a song I've just finished" I stated simply. I had managed to get back into the swing of writing after having to churn out 13 songs for the new album and it was safe to say that the song I had wrote was certainly relatable to the current place I was in my life

Jason and Nate both nodded slowly "But what about music, neither of us know the chords"

I shrugged them off "Its a basic chord structure, I'll play acoustically for the first verse and chorus and once you guys have picked it up, you join in, I want to play it third song to close, if that's alright?"

"Well yeah" Nate blinked a few times "Okay man"

"Guys, hush at the sides!" the stage manager shouted through our ear pieces "Introduction music starts in...5...4...3...2...1"

The three of us walked onto the stage, automatically blinded by the lights, the thousands of cameras and glow sticks illuminating the arena

"HOW IS BERLIN TONIGHT?!"

Show time.

-

* * *

MITCHIE

I watched from the side wings as discreetly as I could, in awe at their musical ability. If anyone asked I was here to watch Nate and Jason, you know moral support, and seeming as I'm their personal assistant, I think that does fit under the job criteria. But if I was being honest, I wasn't watching either of them, in fact, I barely acknowledged their existence on stage, my eyes were fixated on one person

And one person only.

A sweaty, rippling, extremely attractive in an 'I want to jump you right here right now' kind of way, Shane Grey.

If there was one word to describe him right now it would be Adonis.

He is perfection in human form.

Besides those tiny flaws that peek out once and a while, like his love for peanut butter, but I can over see them.

I literally felt my heart race in my chest, pounding away at a million miles per hour every time he whipped his head round to smile at me, they were quick and barely noticeable, yet it caused butterflies to erupt every time.

He was mine

And I loved how no one else knew that, that he was my secret boyfriend, that I was the one he'd sneak around just to see, that it was me he had feelings for.

It suited us perfectly, the secrecy. Knowing that no one besides the two of us knew meant there was no way that our relationship could fail.

We were bulletproof

No one could hurt us, me.

There would be no temptation from the media, crazy fans or my sex crazed excuse of a mother to waltz into our lives and tear us apart. No one could steal Shane away from me.

I wouldn't get heartbroken

I wouldn't be alone.

I could be me, I could finally be happy again.

This was the best thing for us.

I was knocked out of my thoughts as the music stopped and the high pitched screams from the audience subsided. I looked out on to the stage to see Shane clutching a microphone, waving his free hand frantically in the air "Guys, can I just have your attention for a minute?"

The crowd quietened almost instantaneously "So as you know this show has been all our new songs off of the album, but I've got a surprise for you, I've recently just finished writing a song and I want you guys to be the first ones to hear it, not even Nate or Jason have heard it yet"

The crowd went absolutely wild, thousands upon thousands of girls begun chanting his name as I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, new song?

He never mentioned a new song to me

Hell, he hadn't even mentioned him writing a new song

"So you guys ready to hear it?" he shouted excitedly to which the crowd replied in the form of blood curdling screams

"Alright! Here we go this song is about someone who is too afraid to take a chance its called 'Don't tell anyone'" Nate handed Shane a guitar as a stool was brought onto stage, why the hell would he write a song called that?

He perched himself on the stool and begun lightly strumming on the guitar before breaking out into song, my mind latching on to every word he sang

_"I wrote this lyric for you  
All by myself  
What makes you think I need you  
Or anybody else  
But when you see me walking  
Just staring at my feet  
Cause I'm not all about you  
I'm already complete_

_Hope this doesn't make you cry  
But I don't wanna make you mine  
I told you for the millionth time  
That I don't need you in my life_

_But you can see through me (yeah)  
How you get to me  
You know I'm just a fraud  
I'm just afraid  
I feel the same  
But don't tell anyone  
Don't tell anyone_

_I wake up thinking of you  
And that weirds me out  
I try hard not to call you  
But I can't do without  
Hearing your voice tell me  
That I am on your mind  
It wouldn't work to rush this  
I'll come around in time_

_I hope that you can understand  
right now I don't know where I stand  
I'd rather hide behind these walls  
Pretending I don't care at all_

_But you can see through me (yeah)  
How you get to me  
You know I'm just a fraud  
I'm just afraid  
I feel the same  
But don't tell anyone  
Don't tell anyone_

_Life keeps going on  
The world keep spinning round  
Can't we stop going in circles  
Am I afraid of what they'll say  
Or too confused to see  
You and me_

_But you can see through me (yeah)  
How you get to me  
You know I'm just a fraud (I'm just afraid)  
I'm just afraid  
I feel the same  
But don't tell anyone  
Don't tell anyone_

_But you can see through me (You can see through me)  
How you get to me (How you get to me)  
You know I'm just a fraud  
I'm just afraid  
I feel the same  
But don't tell anyone  
Don't tell anyone"_

I was frozen in confusion as he sung the last words, the crowd screaming in praise as I felt my blood run cold, he had wrote a song about us.

About our feelings

Our relationship

Our _secret _relationship, but our relationship nevertheless.

But it was as if he was saying it from my perspective, yet he felt like a fraud.

That he was lying, pretending to be someone else to everyone.

He was highlighting our facade; the emotion in his voice throughout the song told me that maybe this wasn't what he wanted.

But he would have said something

I knew he would have said something

He wouldn't just go and write a song about it and inform thousands of people before bringing up the matter with me.

But then again, how could he

He wouldn't have had the chance...

I blocked out the remaining songs, my eyes now focused on a spot on the ground as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. I was mentally evaluating Shane and I, pushing the silly thought that he was against the secret relationship to the back of my mind.

We we're together

And this was the only way we could be together

Well for me it was

He wouldn't jeopardise that.

Because he wants to be with me too

Right?

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**WELL THERE YOU GO! I actually hated this chapter but I needed to express Shane's hatred for the secret relationship and Mitchie's love for it! Lol! And the song was his way of actually communicating with Mitchie, as he doesn't get the chance**

**Please review I'm at 363 reviews at the moment 380 when I next update**

**PLEASE CHECK OUT MY NEW FIC CALLED CAPTURED SECRETS AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! PLEASE**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hi Guys how are we all on this lovely Saturday evening? Me? Currently squinting at the screen because I have a migraine, ha I'm such a sad act. Anyway, I asked for 380 reviews and I'm up to 401! Like seriously, I am so freaking happy right now. Anyway keep on reading and reviewing, let's see if I can get to 420 by the next chapter! THIS CHAPTER IS KIND OF A FILLER CHAPTER SO I APOLOGISE FOR ITS RUBBISHNESS.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, yet I wish I personally owned a lot of male celebrities; I could form a list if you really wanted. Sorry for typos, its past midnight i feel ill and this chapter sucks.**

**-**

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SHANE

Have you ever been at breaking point?

Where you're on the edge of a metaphorically cliff and you know that the smallest of things could trigger off a massive internal explosion and push you over the edge?

That you mind is reeling and processing at a million miles per hour and you simply can't keep up?

That you find yourself struggling to keep composure as the littlest thing gets on your nerves?

Well that's me.

I'm there, Breaking point.

And if I'm brutally honest I don't know how much more I can take of this. The lies, the secrets, the hiding.

This isn't me, I wasn't brought up to lead a double life, to lie to those who mean the most to me, to pretend to be someone I'm not.

So maybe I used to be an ass, I used to twist the truth to promote myself in a better light, or so I thought, but I never intentionally hid something as monumental as a relationship.

But now here I am, week 4 in the secret relationship between myself and Mitchie, and so far no one had caught us out. Yet that doesn't mean we haven't had our near misses, because hell, we have. If I got a dollar for every time the presence of Nate, Caitlyn or Jason has caused us to abruptly stop making out, I would be a richer man than I already was, and significantly.

But every time they interrupt us, I can't help but mentally thank them slightly. Not because I don't enjoy it, because heck I do, I enjoy it so much sometimes I almost get carried away.

And that's why, the excitement, the thrill of the chase goes to my head, killing all self control I posses. And that's something I can't afford to use...just yet.

Too many, people think mine and my brother's purity rings are a publicity stunt to gain the support and love off of younger fans and their parents, yet it isn't like that in the slightest. We have morals, we respect ourselves, the girls we date, relationships shouldn't be solely based on the physical aspect, yet the emotional. To me, I was slightly more lenient on the guidelines and rules attached to the band which rested on my fingers, unlike Jason and Nate I didn't believe we should remain pure until marriage, yet until I find the person who I want to spend the rest of my life with.

The person I know that I will spend the rest of my waking moments with, to have children with, to grow old with. And as much as I want it to be Mitchie, I don't want to jeopardise what we have on a quickie in a dressing room.

But I didn't want anything quick anymore, no quick make out sessions, hugs, anything. I wanted to go public, or well at least tell somebody. My emotions were on the verge of explosion, as if I was a balloon being forced to over capacitate with air. For my own sake, for my sanity and for the sake of our, relationship, the secrets needed to end, and soon.

My thoughts were interrupted as I heard her voice "Look guys, as dull as this is, I need you to listen, after all I'm still here to do a job"

All three of us muttered out apologies as Mitchie scattered various sheets of paper over the dining table in our hotel suite

"Okay" she breathed out "I've just been called up by the publicists of the new Sasha baron Cohen film, you may have heard of it Bruno-"

"Oh man I've heard that film is sick!" Nate exclaimed, attempting to click his fingers together like gansta's do.

"Where did you find your baby? I swapped it. For what? An iPod" Jason quoted excitedly, his eyes wide

Mitchie nodded "Yeah...anyway we've been invited to the premiere in Milan tonight, and seeming as we haven't got a show, what do you say?"

"YES!" all three of us shouted causing Mitchie to scrunch up her face at the volume of our agreement

"Okay good, I've got to go sort out some photo ops, but I'll be back at 6 with the limo and Caitlyn, so be dressed and ready for a night of laughter and partying....and Shane? Leave your diva crown at home tonight; people haven't come out to see you"

And with that she got up and left the suite, grabbing one of her expensive handbags on the way, as I just rolled my eyes at her attempt of an insult.

"God man, will you two just please sort it out, I can't stand the hostility anymore" Jason said sadly, sticking out his bottom lip slightly

Neither can I.

"Yeah man, so what if she called you gay, magazines have been doing that for years, I don't see you going on a conversational strike with them" Nate said pointedly before proceeding to stuff a ciabatta into his mouth

"Look guys, if I'm honest I hate it too, but she hates me, she doesn't want anything to do with me"

I guess in some way that was the truth, I hated the situation we were in, but she didn't, and she didn't want it to change.

Jason let out a dejected sigh "I liked it when we were all friends"

"Me too Jay, me too"

-

* * *

I had successfully managed to get ready on time, deciding that I would settle on a simple jean and dress shirt combo, not wanting to look too over the top at the fear of me getting slated for my fashion choice at such a large premiere, as Nate and Jason followed suit.

We hurried down the hotel stairs towards the front lobby, knowing that if I was even a second late, my head would be on the line against the wrath of impatient Mitchie Torres

Fake acting or not.

"You took your time" Caitlyn chimed as we threw ourselves into the back seat of the limo in record time, the vehicle pulling away as soon as the door clicked shut

"Sorry" I apologised "Nate didn't know whether to wear converses or boots"

"Err! If I recall correctly it was you realising you're not cool enough to pull off the boot look"

"Guys! Please! For once can you just let something go smoothly?" Mitchie shouted from the front passenger seat "Or I swear to god I will publish all your embarrassing habits in every magazine, and that's not a threat, that's a promise"

All three of us gulped harshly as we slumped back into our seats muttering out various agreements and apologies to Mitchie, there was no way she was telling the world about my night time ritutal...no way.

-

* * *

We all made our way up the red carpet, Nate and Caitlyn clinging on to one another for dear life as Jason bounded up the carpet hugging various fans wherever he could,even if they weren't here to see Jason. Mitchie and I on the other hand, well we were dragging along behind, failing miserably at avoiding eye contact. I couldn't help but sneak glances at her every chance I got, her purple dress, hanging off her hips, hugging every curve to absolute perfection, the temptation to pull her close was almost too much to bare as we made our way into the complex. She shot me a quick smile as we entered the screening before turning away without causing suspision.

I mentally thanked whoever arranged the seating within the theatre as it turned out that Mitchie was sitting beside me at the end of an aisle, away from prying eyes. AKA Caitlyn and Nate, Jason couldnt really be included as he wouldnt realise anything was going on even if it was told to him.

"Please don't kill each other, let's not turn this comedy into a tragedy" Nate pleaded seriously as the lights dimmed

"Yes sir" Mitchie replied as the credits began to roll, causing the lighting to black out completely. I subtly took Mitchie's hand, linking our fingers together as the film began; something tells me that this will be the only chance to show my affection towards her this evening

-

* * *

We arrived at the after party little after eleven and it was safe to say the club was already filling up with guests from the premiere all ready to get merry. I looked around trying to find company for the evening as I knew spending it with Mitchie would be an impossibility. I exhaled deeply as I scanned the room, seeing nobody worth the time of day before deciding to grab a stool at the back of the club. I signalled for the waitress, an attractive blonde to get me a drink as I quietly hummed along to the music playing throughout the club.

Normally I let loose at parties such as this one, finding a girl pretty enough and easy enough to spend the evening with which would ultimately equate to giving her an autograph or a fake number, yet ever since Mitchie and I had been...well seeing each other I found myself acting more reserved at events, a complete u-turn to the usual party animal Shane Grey.

The waitress returned moments later with a soft drink, even if the drinking laws were different in Europe, I didn't want to risk the chance of being snapped for underage drinking by some Italian pap. Time flew by pretty quickly as I conversed small talk with several cast members and other well known faces, distracting myself from wanting to seek out Mitchie and drag her to the nearest toilet.

I saw Nate walk up to me from the corner of my eye as I continued to listen intently to the tunes circulating the dance floor, the constant chatter of the guests acting as a base noise to the music.

My head snapped round as I heard a recognisable laugh, a laugh like music to my ears, ringing through the crowd as my eyes instantly narrowing. I gulped harshly as my eyes set on the scene before me, my blood boiling through my veins.

I felt my hands clench into tight fists as I struggled to keep my emotions under wraps. Nate nudged me in the shoulder "Looks like Mitchie's going to get some tonight, she's well in there with that guy"he let out a soft chuckle at his attempt to lighten the mood.

My eyes momentarily turned towards him, as I glared at him, "Dude what the hell is pulling your chain?" he asked again, moving in front of me, partially blocking the view of Mitchie leaning up against the bar, twirling her hair with her finger whilst talking to some male model wannabe.

I tilted my head, not caring about Nate or anyone else for that matter, all I cared about was why the hell Mitchie was flirting with some random guy, she was supposed to be my girlfriend! Secret girlfriend, but girlfriend nevertheless.

"Nothing" I managed to mutter out harshly as my eyes burned into the stranger who was mentally undressing Mitchie with his eyes.

"You sure man, looks like someone's rubbed you the wrong way?" he laid a supportive hand on my shoulder as my breathing shallowed the scene in front of me getting too much to bare as the guy took her hand from across the bar.

I shrugged his hand off, pushing him out of the way "Leave it Nate" as I stormed towards the bar, through the hoards of dancers and party goers currently occupying the floor. My mind went into overdrive as I got closer and closer to the pair

"What the hell!" I exclaimed loudly, my voice reaching over the sound of the music, significantly. Mitchie eyes widened as she looked at me, almost as if she had been caught out "What the hell!?" I repeated, impatient for my explanation

"Shane what are you doing?" She plastered on a calm, sweet voice, acting out the innocent card

"Me? What am I doing?" I scoffed "What are _you_ doing?" my voice dripping with anger.

"Shane" she hissed "You're causing a scene!" her eyes narrowed at me as she gave me a look indicating that she was mad, yet at this moment I couldn't care less, she had driven me to this, and it was about time she knew exactly how I felt

"Oh well I am so sorry!" I replied sarcastically as I threw my hands in the air "maybe I should just continue to watch my _girlfriend_ flirt with some random guy who, by the way, only wants to get into your pants!"

Her mouth fell open with shock as others gasped as I exposed our secret "WHAT? AW MAN!"Caitlyn screeched from behind me, I quickly turned around to see Caitlyn sighing whilst retrieving a 20 from her purse and handing it to Nate before mouthing 'damn you'. I rolled my eyes before turning back to Mitchie's face which was now red with anger. She opened her mouth ready to argue back, yet I wasn't finished

"And you know what Mitchie? I've sat back and lied to our friends for a month now, and I'm done with it! Why should we have to hide the fact that we are together? Are you ashamed of me? Are you ashamed of dating me, is that it?"

"Shane, don't do this." She pleaded bluntly as she got up off of her seat

"No Mitchie, I will do this! I've tried so many time's to tell you that I've had enough, the song Mitchie, didn't you realise that it was about us? I hate the sneaking around, I hate the lying, all I want to do is to be able to go around places, with you on my arm, to show you off to the world as the girl I L-"I stopped mid rant, realising what the next couple of words leaving my mouth were going to be.

Was I ready to say it? Did I mean it? Would she even feel that way back? I hesitated for a second as I felt the presence of many eyes staring into me, waiting for me to continue. I took a deep breath, fixating my gaze with hers "as the girl I'm falling in love with"

If the room hadn't already fallen silent, it was now; the only sound audible was my heavy breathing and the slight buzz from the air conditioning. I had said it. I had admitted my real feelings towards everything, in front of a crowd of 300 party goers, nice one Shane; moments like this shouldn't be publicized in the middle of a club.

"What?" she barely managed to whisper out as she froze to the spot.

"Yeah, What?!" Caitlyn exclaimed loudly as she pushed her way towards me, grabbing me by the arm and shaking me slightly

"I err; I think I'm falling in love with you..." I repeated half as confidently as I had previously, now aware of the judging eyes upon me

"Seriously?" Caitlyn spoke up again, her gaze darting between me and Mitchie

I shot Caitlyn an unimpressed look "I've said it twice already haven't I, now if you don't mind, I kind of want to hear Mitchie's response"

I took Mitchie's hands in mine, intertwining our fingers, before pulling her towards me, my frame towering a good four or five inches above hers.

I felt my heart race in my chest as I waited anxiously for an answer, seconds seeming to drag on as if it were hours.

She opened her mouth, inhaling sharply before looking at me dead in the eyes

"Shane I-I don't think I can do this"

Those worlds hit me like a knife being stabbed into my chest, she couldn't do what? She pulled away from my grasp before turning on her heels and fleeing the crowded club.

The last thing I see, her perfectly curved body turning the corner as a sharp pain erupted in my chest.

* * *

**So there you go, THIS CHAPTER SUCKED SOO MUCH BUT I hope you enjoyed it! Everything is out in the open I wonder how people will react! Please tell me what you think and review! Your reviews really do make my day! Thanks guys and I promise I will update ALL fic's at least once in the next seven days.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello there my lovely reviewers! Have I ever mentioned how much I love you? Well I do. A lot. I can't believe it, I'm up to 432 reviews, that was 31 reviews for the last chapter, oh god you guys make me ridiculously happy! I guess all of you hate me for what happened last chapter and to the anon reviewer, I HAVE NOT RUINED THIS FIC! just wait and see!!!!!Thanks.**

**I would like to apologise for lack of updates, I'm currently trying to hold down a 40 hour a week job, and I'm 16, yeah I know I'm stupid.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, sorry for typo's it's 1:09 am and i'm just about to proof read this**

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Shane

I stood there frozen to the spot, my feet literally glued to the laminated flooring as people continued to stare.

She had left, walked out, abandoned me after I confessed my feelings towards her.

Did I really embarrass her/repulse her that much that she had to rejected me in front of a club full of celebrities and Italians?

I guess so.

Caitlyn tackled me into a hug as my eyes stayed fixated at the door, my vision now becoming slightly blurry as tears threatened to spill from my eyes.

"I'm sorry Shane" she mumbled into my shirt "Mitchie's an ass... what you said, was really sweet, you really like her don't you?" she pulled away as she looked up at me with sympathetic eyes, only making me feel even worse about myself

I nodded, now removing my gaze from the door; she wouldn't be walking back through that entrance, no matter how hard I pray.

"Yeah" I sighed dejectedly shrugging "it just got too much, the lying and hiding from you guys was killing me"

Caitlyn pried herself away from me as Nate patted me on the shoulder "I don't understand why you couldn't tell us."

"I wanted to. She didn't. Simple as. I was her dirty little secret, and now she wants nothing to do with me, god she even had me thinking that she could be the one"

Nate pulled me closer giving me an awkward yet comforting one armed hug before saying "give her time, you did kind of pounce your feelings on her"

Time.

Give her time.

i could do that, i guess.

5 minutes is acceptable, right?

-

* * *

MITCHIE

What the fuck.

What the actual motherfuckering-fuck.

How did it get to this?

A matter of hours ago we were fine, fine with our relationship being a secret, under wraps, away from the public. We agreed on this, this is what we wanted; he said it was, I swear he said it was.

I ran, I ran out of the club and into the nearest taxi I could hail.

He was falling for me?

_ME?_

hell i'm supposed to be his personal assitantt, falling for him was not part of the job description, if it was, then ...fuck.

I knew we liked each other but surely it was just fun.

Nothing serious.

I ran to our hotel suite as soon as I stepped out of the taxi, needing the comfort of my bed, hoping sleep would erase my confused thoughts.

I swung open my door, throwing myself at my bed as I retrieved a bar of galaxy from my draw.

Hey! I'm a girl. When life kicks you in the ass, you stuff your face with chocolaty goodness.

I sighed as I threw my head into the pillow "arghh!" I let out a frustrated groan

Why Shane?

Why tonight?

Why in front of a club full of people, couldn't he of told me this in private?

I must have dozed off as a knock at the door awoke me as I groaned "Shane I don't want to talk right now, please" I pleaded into my pillow

"Its me" Nate's voice piped up "can I come in"

"Whatever"

Seconds later he opened the door as the weight shifted on the bed, telling me he had sat down "Mitch what happened tonight?" he asked cautiously, his voice soft.

"You saw for yourself, didnt you? Shane outted us and told the whole freaking club that he thinks he's falling for me" I rolled over so I was now facing the ceiling, I stared at the spiralled pattern, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Why's that such a bad thing?"He nudged

I exhaled deeply "because it was supposed to be a secret, no one was supposed to know,"

"But why Mitchie? Why couldn't you let people know, why couldn't you tell us?" he sounded hurt"i thought you could trust us"

Ouch. Guilt.

"I do trust you" I assured, and I did, I trusted all of them, with my life, they were my best friends, hell they were practically my family "I do...it's just..." I trailed off, sighing once more, knowing that I was going to have to explain myself, explain my reasons for not wanting anyone to know, something I hadn't even told Shane

"I'm scared Nate, I don't do relationships. I did. And I was hurt, my mom...she...she slept with my boyfriend, had an affair with a guy I had been seeing for years, the guy I had lost my virginity to. She knew how I felt, she knew how happy I was and they ruined me, they crushed my happiness and my trust when it came to letting guys get close. I tried to push Shane away, several times, but I couldn't, my feelings for him were too strong, I couldn't keep away. I let him in, I trusted him and for the first time in a long time I wanted someone to care for me. I just thought, that if nobody knew and that if it wasn't serious, no one could steal him from me and I wouldn't get heartbroken" my voice began to crack as I told Nate my sob story

"b-because I don't know how much more heart ache I can take" I sniffled as Nate pulled me towards him into a sitting postion, wrapping his arms around me

"So you ran off because you were scared?" he cooed soothingly into my ear, I nodded into his shoulder before pulling away

"Shitless Nate. Because I think I'm falling for him too, I just don't want to be brought up and then shot down." I admittedly quietly, looking down at my lap

He put two fingers under my chin as he brought my eye contact to his "why do you think Shane would be the same though?"

"Because he's Shane grey, he could have anyone he wanted, why would he want someone as plain and as sarcastic as me, I'm nothing special. Good things don't happen to me, I'm not destined for a fairytale ending"

"Oh Mitch, Shane's a good guy, before all your fake fighting, you could tell how much he cares for you, even during that time, the looks he used to give you... that's why I won the $20"

I rolled my eyes as he smiled smugly "you and Caitlyn made a bet on us?"

He nodded "Yep, it was weird how every time I found you two you went from silent to arguing in a couple of seconds and how your lips were always swollen as hell. I didn't think that was a result of arguing..."

"I can't believe Caitlyn didn't realise though" I laughed, Caitlyn could guess anything, she could read me like a book

"Oh she really didn't, she actually believed you two hated each other, she hated it, she was getting really upset over it"

"I'm sorry" I said guiltily, the last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt other people

"Hey it's okay you had your reasons, but what are you going to do now? Shane's pretty torn up..."

"I need to talk to him, tell him how I..."

My reply was cut short as my phone began to vibrate in my pocket, it was probably Shane, and right now he was the last person I wanted to talk to. I pulled my cell from my pocket, as I glanced at the caller id

Unknown

huh?

It was from an American number.

Not only that a number from New Jersey.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as Nate spoke up

"Aren't you going to answer that?"

"Err" I stuttered "Err yeah"

I pressed the green button as I brought the phone to my ear, still confused as to who was calling me

"Hello?"

"Mitchie?" the other voice asked, I knew that voice... it was him... why the hell was he calling me, now of all times

"Ben?"

I heard him sigh in relief from the other end of the phone

"Oh thank god, I've been trying to hunt you down all day, I called your apartment but nothing, I finally found out that you worked at Hollywood records, congratulations by the way, and they said you were on tour with Connect 3!"

"That I am" I replied, still not understanding the purpose for this call

"I had to practically beg the guy at reception to give me your cell number"

"Look Ben, cut to the chase. Why are you calling me?" I was getting irritated in quickly, I hadn't spoken to him in months, and now, now he had the audacity to ring me.

"I don't know how to say this..." he trailed off

"Oh c'mon just tell me, I'm sure I'm not going to break at your news, I'm not made from China Ben"

"Its your mom" he stated simply as I scrunched my face, I raised my eyes to meet Nate's as he shot me a confused look,

"What about the bitch? She gone and fucked another minor?" sarcasm dripping from my voice

"Mitchie" he snapped harshly "Will you shut up for one fucking second"

I silenced, feeling slightly upset by his tone, nothing to cry over, yet hurt nevertheless "Your mother, is in hospital"

My eyes widened as the pit of my stomach fell, my mom, my _mom_ was in hospital. She was never a sickly woman, hell I don't think I can ever remember her having anything but a cough and even then you could barely call it that

"w-what?" I managed to choke out, still not quite believing what I was hearing

"She was admitted last night, she's really ill Mitch"

"W-what's wrong with her? Where's dad? Why are you calling me?" I caught Nate's attention with my numerous questions as he mouthed 'are you okay' at me which I simply ignored; all I cared about was getting the answers

"I think it's better we tell you in person. Your dad refused to come, he's not in the best of states as well Mitch, I know I'm the cause but as your friend, well kind of, I think you should know that he's a wreck. Ever since you left, his life has crumbled, he's rarely ever out"

I gulped harshly as a pang of guilt hit me in the chest like a knife, I had neglected him, I promised to call all the time, to visit.

And yet I hadn't

I really had upped and left my life behind not caring about anyone or anything.

I was a bitch.

"i-i-i'm coming home" I stated, making my mind up, I needed to be there, as much as I hated my mother, she was ill, in danger and my dad needed me. I needed to be with my family, Shane would have to wait.

"When?" he asked, his voice picking up slightly as I frantically motioned for Nate to hand me his blackberry. I grabbed it from him opening up the internet browser in record speed, finding the next flight which left Milan for New York or New Jersey.

"Bingo" I said, finding one that left in 2 hours "I'll be on home soil in 12 hours... you're going to have to pick me up though"

"Of course! I'm really glad you're coming back, you're mom really needs you, she misses you, we all do"

"Okay, I've got to pack, see you soon Ben"

"You too Mitch, have a safe flight"

I hung up, throwing Nate his phone back after reserving a seat on the plane, before jumping off the bed and towards the closet, dragging my case out.

"What are you doing, what's going on?"

"Nate book me a taxi now." I demanded, yanking all my clothes off a hanger as I threw them into my case, grabbing my toiletries and doing the same

"Why? What's happened Mitchie?" worry was evident in his voice

"My mom, she's ill, she's in hospital. My dad needs me. I need to be home" my voice was desperate as I tried to keep all my emotions bottled inside,

I wouldn't cry over my mother again.

I couldn't

I wouldn't

He nodded understandingly, helping me pack as I waited for a taxi.

I dragged my suitcase quietly out the suite with Nate close behind me, not knowing if anyone was awake or not. In fact I was praying no one was, confrontation and goodbyes wouldn't only delay me, and I would inevitably miss my flight.

As we reached the entrance the cool night air hit me as I turned around to look at Nate "what about Shane?" he asked cautiously

I sighed "I don't know Nate, I've got more important things on my mind, just tell him I'm sorry and I'll call him when I can"

He nodded, engulfing me in a massive hug "come back as soon as you can, okay? I don't think I can put up with these crazy kids for long without needing your company"

I let out a small laugh, contrasting my current emotions as I replied "will do, tell everyone I'm sorry"

"Bye Mitch" he whispered into my ear before pulling away, kissing me on the cheek

"Bye Nate" I pulled up the handle of my suitcase as I dragged it to the taxi, throwing it in the trunk before getting in

"Airport please" i was going home, a place i hadnt stepped foot in for months.

home.

-

* * *

SHANE

I woke up, my brain still pretty clouded from last night's events as I reluctantly pulled myself out of my hotel bed, I needed to talk to Mitchie, I needed to understand why she walked out.

Maybe she really was just afraid, or maybe my profession of my feelings shouldn't have been in front of hundreds of other people. Either way, we needed to sort things out.

She'd be pissed, I knew that much, Mitchie was too stubborn not to be pissed with me for outing us.

I dragged my somewhat lifeless body out into the shared kitchen area, rummaging through the fridge for something I could make her

That's right; I was going to make her breakfast in bed.

I pulled out a carton of orange juice along with some butter, eggs and bacon.

I turned on the kettle, letting the water heat up as I popped some bread into the toaster before proceeding to scramble some eggs in a pan.

I poured a cup of coffee, placing the cup onto a tray before I served the scrambled eggs and bacon on toast.

Satisfied, I picked up the tray and quietly made my way down the hall to her room, mentally rehearsing my apology to her, which included yet more confessions of my romantic feelings towards her.

I knocked on the door lightly, my knuckles tapping at the wooden surface three time. I waited for a response, afraid she might have been asleep. I knocked again before opening the door slowly with my free hand, peeping my head behind the door.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as my eyes fell on her perfectly made bed, her room stripped from the scattered belongings I remember seeing a matter of hours before. I pushed the door open even more as I stepped into the room, my hands still gripping on tightly to the tray of breakfast, maybe she was in the bathroom or something?

I placed the tray down gently on the bed, not wanting to spill orange juice or coffee over the pristine white bedding. "Mitchie?" I called out quietly as I scanned the room

Nothing.

"Mitchie?" I repeated again, my volume rising slightly as I finished scanning her area of the suite, nothing.

I made my way towards her closest, my hand coming in contact with the metal handle as I pulled it open, the contents of her suitcase gone.

Her suitcase gone.

Everything gone.

What the...

I scrambled over to her draws pulling them open with force to be greeting of the same empty sight

"What the hell" I muttered as I felt my pulse begin to increase.

I hurried out the room and down the corridor not caring that it was only a little after eight in the morning, I needed answers and hell I needed them now.

I didn't bother knocking as I swung open Nate's door to find him sprawled across his bed with nothing on besides a pair of boxers and a half opened dress up shirt that he was wearing the night before.

Classy.

I walked over to the window, drawing back the curtains abruptly as the light shone through

"What the fuck!?" Nate exclaimed loudly as he shot up "Dude, don't you know what time it is?"

"Where is she?" I demanded bluntly, not having the patience to listen to him whine.

"Who?" he asked, rubbing his eyes

"You know who, Mitchie."

Nate's eyes widened as he bit his lip slightly 'fuck' he mouthed slightly. Oh, he knew.

"Where. Is. She."

"Shane, I don't know what you're on about..."

"Please" I begged slightly, running my hands through my dishevelled hair "please just tell me Nate"

He exhaled deeply "she's gone"

"Gone, as in gone out...?" I asked hopefully, it seemed logical

He shook his head "No, Shane she's _gone"_

My breath caught in my throat as I felt all colour drain from my face "w-where?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper

Why did she leave? Was it me? Oh god was it what I said last night...

"New Jersey."

She's gone?

S-she's gone.

* * *

**She's gone. You know why. He doesn't. What's wrong with her mother? Do we care? I don't haha well I do because I'm writing this piece of shit, anyway what's the deal with BEN calling her? Well review and I'll tell you. Next chapter is going to be good, mark my words.**

**did you like it:) tell me **

**love.**


	19. Chapter 19

**HEY! How are we all?! I can't believe it I'm up to 459 reviews! Why do you love this story so much? You lot make me so happy, you have no idea. Anyway here is another instalment! So keep on reviewing and check out my 2 new fic's! CAPTURED SECRETS and LOOK AFTER YOU.**

**Disclaimer: i own nothing, sorry for the typos. WOAH THIS IS THE LONGEST CHAPTER I'VE EVER WRITTEN FOR ANY OF MY FICS-EVER. WOAH.**

**-**

* * *

MITCHIE

I exhaled deeply as the plane began to descend into Newark Airport , I was never a keen flyer and today was no exception, I gripped on tightly to the arm rests, my knuckles turning white as I kept my eyes in front of me.

Do not and I repeat do not look out of the window Mitchie, it will cause you nothing but torment. I reached into my purse, grabbing my iPod and sticking the headphones in my ear in record time before proceeding to grip the hand rests again, I needed a distraction, and right now music seemed the only option.

I pressed shuffle as I sunk back further into my first class seat, yeah that's right first class, the only freaking seat left on this good for nothing plane. I closed my eyes, letting the music begin, hoping for something calming...relaxing...peaceful...

Oh you've got to be kidding me!

My eyes shot open as I stared at my IPod. I mean seriously is the world trying to make me feel even guiltier than I already am?

Connect 3? Fucking Connect 3.

I pressed next, hoping for something, anything that was not the three guys I was working for and had upped and left, y'know something like Joshua Radin, James Morrison, but what did I get?

Connect 3.

A-fucking-gain.

Hold on... I don't even have Connect 3 on my IPod, I wasn't even a fan!

I flipped my iPod touch over to see the engraving, knowing that mine had lyrics from 'how to save a life' scrapped in on the back, i was a hardcore 'The Fray' fan, sue me.

But this one didn't, oh no nothing close to that. I swear to God the world was against me.

'Shane Joseph Gray Est.1989.'

Oh fuck my life. Like seriously, take it, and fuck it.

Not only did I storm out of a club after he professed his love for me, leaving him rejected, I've fled the country and now, now I have his freaking silver plated IPod touch, his prized possession.

Things couldn't get much worse.

The plane touched down as it began to taxi down the runway, I was home.

On American soil

New Jersey

The place I had left behind, the place I never wanted to go back to, I promised myself I wouldn't

But look at me now.

I walked through baggage claim still dressed in my purple dress from the night before, I didn't have time to think, let alone change.

God knows what I looked like right now

Dishevelled hair, a crinkled dress, paired up with some black flats and lugging a hurriedly packed suitcase through a buzzing airport. I scanned the arrivals suite, my eyes darting from person to person as I tried to find him.

Ben. The guy, who had built me up, filled me up with pretty little hopes and promises just to shoot me down. he Destroyed me.

Changed everything I believed in.

My eyes landed on the raven haired boy, his body more muscular than I can remember, yet the same undeniable good looks remained. He really could have had anyone

He still could.

I counted my lucky stars night after night wondering what a guy like him was doing with someone as plain and boring as me, what did he see in me?

I wondered for weeks, months, thinking that one day I'd wake up from this obvious dream, but I didn't, that dream was a reality, Ben loved me, I loved him, and even though I was only sixteen and still naive to what the world had to offer, I believed that he could have been the one.

I wanted the big house out of town, the picket fence, the family, the fairytale ending. And I saw it with Ben.

But that dream turned into a nightmare, the sort where you wake up in a cold sweat, panting as you fight back the tears.

Our eyes locked as he recognised me, waving his arms frantically in the air, beckoning me over. I gulped harshly as I dragged myself through the hoards of travellers, suitcase in tow, wishing that I had Shane by my side right now.

"Mitchie!" he exclaimed "I'm so glad you came" he flung his arms around me, my body stiffening as my arms remained at my sides, my heart racing in his chest.

I used to think our bodies moulded together perfectly, that we were so in sync, but now, it was the complete opposite, I felt so uncomfortable, so out of place.

I didn't feel the warmth that was once there, the feeling of love, but at the same time I no longer hated him. I had grown up, moved on, and inevitably all the pain he and my mother had put me through had led me to Shane, and for that I didn't regret a single moment.

I pulled away slightly, forcing him to release his death grip around me "hi Ben" I said as levelly as I could, tired and slightly jet lagged from the spontaneous flight across the Atlantic "how've you been?"

Nice one Mitchie. Small talk.

Score.

He nodded "Good, well before, you know, your mom..."

"Well actually that's the thing Ben, I don't know, you refused to tell me what exactly is wrong with my fucked up mother, if anything, for all I know this could be a ploy to get me back on home soil."

He looked at me through narrowed eyes, looking almost insulted "a ploy? Jesus Mitch how cold hearted do you think we are?" disbelief evident in his voice

I scoffed, I was trying to keep the bitterness under wraps but he was making this too hard. "As much as I want to remind you of what you did to me, I don't think the air ports the place, so if you don't mind, keep your hypocritical opinions to yourself and take me to the hospital I'm here to see my mom, not you."

I began to walk towards the exit as Ben scrambled to follow "wow Mitch you've changed" he muttered under his breath

That I have, and it's because of his sorry ass that I've matured and got a life of my own. Too bad I can't say the same for him.

The car ride was quite as my eyes focused on the surroundings outside the Honda, the sights that were one so familiar to me, but now so foreign

This was no longer home.

LA was my home, my safety net.

Not this

Conversation was at a minimal as Ben still refused to tell me why my mother was currently lying in a hospital bed. I was her daughter for crying out loud, surely I have more of a right to know the well being of my mom then Ben does.

I tapped my fingers impatiently on my lap, my knee jittering up and down as I was losing my patience more and more by the second. I had just forked out $677 to get over here, dropped my, admittedly dramatic life and the guy of my dreams (who just doesn't know it yet) to come and see my mother.

The mother who destroyed my childhood

Embarrassed myself and my dad

Put our family name to shame.

If she has anything less life threatening than swine flu, I will, and with no regret, cause her and Ben some serious injury.

The car came to a halt as we pulled up into the hospital parking lot, my hand instantly flying to the seatbelt as I hastily unbuckled myself.

I wanted this over and done with.

Quick and painless.

Like ripping a plaster off.

I didn't even care that Ben was shouting my name as I raced through the car park and into the building. I was a woman on a mission, and that mission?

To get back to my job as soon as possible.

I slammed my hands down on the receptionist's desk as she sceptically eyed me up and day with a look of disgust. Yeah I looked a mess, thanks, now stop staring

"May I help you miss?" she asked politely as she still stared at my choice of attire

"Susan Torres was admitted here, where's her room?"

"Are you a relative?"

I rolled my eyes, God I do not have the time or patience for this "Yes, I'm her daughter"

"She's in room 309 but she's currently in surgery, you can wait in her room if you'd like"

Surgery? What the hell.

I just nodded as Ben grabbed my hand, "surgery" I hissed, glaring at him "surgery" I repeated "and you didn't mention this to me before why?"

"I didn't want you to worry" he said with a shrug, his expression slightly scared.

"Worry?! For fucks sake Ben I was worried the moment you called me in Milan, yeah she's a fuck up but she's still my mother!"

"You were in Milan?" his eyes widened at my statement, shock evident in his voice.

I nodded "Yes"

"I just thought you were in LA, I didn't know you were jet setting around the world, what happened to the small town Mitchie I knew and loved"

I scoffed, he really was asking for a fight wasn't he "the Mitchie you knew and loved disappeared the moment you fucked my mother. And if you really want to know, I wasn't just jet setting, I was working"

"What sort of work takes you to places like Milan?" he really was clueless. Ben was never destined for massively great things, he was sheltered by his little New Jersey bubble, he had no interest on leaving the state or country, his job prospects? The same as his father and previous generations, mechanics. Sure it brought in the money, paid the bills, but for Ben the sky was never even considered as the limit.

"I'm the personal assistant to Connect 3, the band"

"Oh!" was all he said.

Introducing my ex boyfriend turned mother-fucker. Literally.

Ben!

A man of many words.

I gulped harshly as we arrived at room 309, currently empty as I peered through the glass panel. I hated hospitals, I always had, no good memory had ever come from being in a hospital, how people could work in these places was beyond me.

Being faced by death on a daily basis, watching people suffer and having to watch patients slip through your fingers despite your best attempt of saving them. It was a job for the courageous, and I for one was a coward.

My hand came in contact with the brass handle as I opened the door, stepping inside with Ben in tow, my eyes scanning the room as I noticed a couple of get well soon cards standing up on the bedside table, a vase full of pink lilies resting beside them.

I sat down inhaling deeply before opening my mouth to speak "right let's stop the small talk and cut to the chase. What the hell is wrong with my mother?"

He avoided eye contact "she-she, I don't know how to put this lightly, either way you're going to completely freak"

"Then don't sugar coat it for me Ben, I'm a big girl, tell me"

"Your mom had an ectopic pregnancy"

Say what now?

"WHAT?!" I exclaimed, my dad would never touch my mother with a barge pole these days, so there was no way it could have been his. "Are you telling me that she managed to get knocked up by one of her fuck buddies?"

Bens face flushed red slight as I chose to ignore it yet before he had the chance to continue I cut in again

"Hold on, you said ectopic, so she had a miscarriage?"

He nodded as I processed the new found information "she didn't even know she was pregnant apparently, she was complaining of stomach pains, thinking nothing of it, y'know being that time of the month and all, but then it persisted and she collapsed. She was bleeding everywhere, her face was so pale, so I called 911 as soon as I could"

"You were with her?" I asked in disbelief as the pieces began to fit into place "Of course you were with her because it was yours! Oh my God!" I exclaimed jumping off of the bed "You told me it was over, she told me it was over, for god sake Ben you're 19 what the hell are you doing with a 43 year old women!"

"I love her!" he said defensively

"WHAT!" I shrieked, what the hell was this. I'm on drugs aren't I? Someone has spiked me and this is all one massive hallucination. There is no way on this earth that this is real.

"I love her Mitch; I'm in love with your mother and she loves me back!"

I turned my back to him and ran my hands through my hair, "oh god, oh god" I muttered. This was unbelievable; I didn't think this situation could get much more fucked up.

But my god it just had.

The door clicked open as I saw my mom being wheeled in by two female nurses, followed by a doctor no older than about 30. My eyes watched intensely as she was wheeled over and hooked up to various machines, her face as white as a sheet as she lay helpless.

"You must be the daughter" the doctor spoke up as I drew my attention for him with furrowed eyebrows, I was mentioned?

I nodded "Michelle" I formally introduced myself as I stuck out my hand

"Doctor Mason, but call me Chris, I was never one for formalities"

"Okay..."

"Can we talk for a moment outside?" he asked as I nodded before leading me out of the room "So as you are probably aware your mother had a miscarriage last night, due to an ectopic pregnancy, basically the embryo kept growing, putting extreme pressure on her tubes until they finally ruptured. According to the young man inside she had been suffering from symptoms for the past few days yet chose to ignore them, which ultimately resulted in a large loss of blood. She was brought in with an immediate need for a blood transfusion as well as a hysterectomy."

My mind was reeling, overwhelmed by the information being thrown at me "what caused it?" I asked obliviously, I didn't know about these things.

"For some, there is no cause, but age and underlying sexually transmitted diseases can increase the risk"

"s-so how is she?" I asked hesitantly, reaching the punch line

The doctor sighed, looking at me seriously "It's hard to say, her body has been under an extreme amount of stress over the past 24 hours, as far as surgery is concerned the hysterectomy went without any noticeable complications, as for the blood transfusion it's a matter of whether or not her body accepts it. The next few hours will be crucial"

Crucial?

I don't like the sound of that.

-

* * *

shane

You know that saying 'you never know what you've got till it gone?' well I do. I know exactly what I had, and yet, she's still gone. Even if she had been gone less than a day, time dragged on excruciatingly slow, no one told me why she left besides Nate telling me it was an emergency and she was sorry.

Sorry?

She was sorry for what? I don't understand what she could possibly be sorry for...

Oh that's right, rejecting me in front of hundreds of people, being too ashamed to go public with me, and fleeing the country without so much as a goodbye.

How on earth did I forget that?

I deserved a goodbye at least, didn't I?

One word, two if you were picky. That's all. One word.

But no, not even after everything we've been through, I didn't even get that.

I don't know where she is, why exactly she left, hell I don't even know if she's safe.

For all I know she could be sliced up into chunks down some alleyway after being kidnapped from whatever airport she flew into.

I stomped through the corridors backstage at the venue we were currently at, ignoring the looks and whispers I was getting through people as I continued to shout "NATE! NATE!" my pace quickened as I grew even more impatient with the situation, now practically running down the corridor towards his dressing room.

I didn't even bother knocking as I swung the door open revealing a partially undressed Nate, and when I saw partially undressed, I mean the only thing he's currently wearing is a pair of plaid boxers.

"DUDE!" he shrieked, whilst grabbing a t-shirt and covering himself with it "Haven't you ever heard of a thing called knocking!?" I rolled my eyes as his voice went high pitched, his face flushing a nice crimson colour

"Seriously Nate, I bathed you when you were a baby, we do costume changes halfway through concerts together, I am not seeing why you are embarrassed"

"What do you want anyway Shane, because _I am_ trying to get ready for something here"

I walked further into the room, shutting the door behind me "where is she?" I demanded, my voice level

"Shane you know I can't-"

Cant wasn't a word I would accept, as I decided to interrupt him "Yes you can!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air "Yes you fucking can, all I want to know is where she is!"

Nate sighed, his expression falling, I know he wanted to tell me, the location on the tip of his tongue, but Mitchie had obviously told him not to mention anything to me, which left me wondering why

"I-I can't, Shane, she's going through a tough time, she doesn't need you jumping on a plane hunting her down"

I let out a frustrated groan, gritting my teeth together, "why cant you? Just please tell me why? You know, Caitlyn knows, I'm pretty sure Jason knows aswell" i closed the distance between myself and my brother, my eyes narrowing as I continued to glare at him.

I was angry and I was going to make damn sure that he knew it.

I raised my fist in the air, leaving it hanging a mere inch or two away from Nate's face. One false move and he'd have a broken nose. And if I'm honest, I would not regret putting the kid in his place. "I'm going to ask you one more time Nate, tell me where she is and what's going on"

Nate's eyes darted between my face and my fist as he gulped harshly, knowing that I would cause that face of his some serious harm

"Okay, Okay!" he surrendered as I lowered my fist "She's gone home Shane"

Home? "As in back to her apartment? Does she need space, is that the emergency?" I asked confused, she hastily fled the country to go back to her grotty apartment, alone.

Nate shook his head "Home, home. She's gone back to Jersey, I don't know the full extent of why. All I know is that I was with her and her phone went off, and something's wrong with her mom, that's all I know"

Jersey, she was in Jersey.

"I'm going to call her!"

"No No!" Nate grabbed my phone from my hand as he stepped away from me "whatever is going on, she obviously wanted to do it alone. If she needs any of us, she'll call, if you haven't heard anything in a couple of days then by all means call her, but just let her deal with what she needs to deal with. She's a big girl"

I sighed and threw myself on the sofa situated in Nate's dressing room. He was right, but that didn't mean I didn't want to jump on the next flight and be by her side to support her through whatever she's going through.

But just to be safe, I'm going to book every available flight from here to New Jersey for the next two days. If she needed me, I would be there in a heartbeat.

No doubt.

-

* * *

mitchie-

I hate waiting.

I was born premature, therefore born impatient. When I wanted things, I wanted them instantly, and right now I wanted my mom to wake up.

It had been a good few hours since she had come out of surgery and I hadn't left her bedside. I refused to; I needed to make up for lost time, even if she wasn't conscious.

I couldn't help but feel guilty, even if she had put me through so much shit in the past couple of years, she was still my mother, she was still the one who used to tie my hair up in bunches every morning. She was the one who saw me off to my first day at school, cooed me to sleep when my pet hamster died.

She was the one who painted my nails for the first time

Took me shopping for my first bra.

My prom dress.

She was my mom, the only one I was ever going to get

My eyes widened as I saw hers flutter open "Mom? Mom it's me Mitchie" I said quietly as I leaned over, brushing her hair out of her face. I smiled as she opened her eyes fully, as she scanned the room, or shall I say ceiling with her eyes.

She opened her mouth to speak yet I placed a finger upon it "shhh, don't," Ben came up behind me as she managed to muster a small smile, the only noise now filling the room was the constant beeping of the machines.

"I'm sorry I didn't come home sooner" I admitted guiltily "I'm sorry I didn't give you a chance when you came and visited me" I was sorry, I should have given her a chance, no matter how angry I was or still am.

She opened her mouth once more as she managed to croak out "you came"

I nodded "of course I did, you're my mom, I love you"

She shook her head slightly "you shouldn't, I've been the worst mother ever"

It was my turn to shake my head as I hushed her "everyone makes mistakes, Ben told me that you guys are happy together, and I've got to respect that, you can't help who you fall in love with"

She smiled slightly "are you and that boy dating?"

"What boy?" Ben spoke up

"That famous singer, he is quite the looker" she replied, making me laugh slightly

I nodded "Yeah we are, at least I hope we are, I kind of left on bad terms"

"Call him" she urged

"No! Not now, he can wait, I'm more concerned about you right now"

"Do you love him?"She asked her voice now becoming slightly more levelled

"Yeah...yeah I do. He could be the one y'know"

She smiled widened as I smiled also; it had been a long time since we were able to talk like this, talk without wanting to rip each other's heads off.

Conversation continued to flow slowly as I got reacquainted with my mother once more, learning about Ben and hers relationship and how serious they actually were. Hearing about it still made my stomach churn uneasily, but they were happy and that's all that mattered. Ben told me about dad and how down he's been lately as I mentally promised myself to see him tomorrow. This trip was one to build bridges; I was getting my family back.

I was no longer running away from my problems.

Ben and I were laughing as we relived some of our high school memories as the speed of the beeps from the machine began to increase rapidly as her eyes rolled back "Mom? Mom?!" I shouted frantically as I jumped out of my seat "B-Ben what's happening?" I asked as my voice cracked

"I don't know" he shouted equally as worried, I pressed frantically on the red button demanding assistance now, there was something wrong.

A matter of seconds' later hoards of nurses and doctors came flooding in, pushing me and Ben to the back of the room as they began to assess my mom, shouting various abbreviations I couldn't make heads or tails of.

My breathing became erratic as I watched in horror, the machine now beeping at a million miles per hour as it turned into a continuous beep. My eyes shot to the monitor, the once regular frequency on the screen now replaced by a flat line.

"What's happening?!" I shouted as I tried to push past the nurses.

My attention was caught as one of the doctors grabbed one of those things you always seen on hospital dramas when you knew their heart had stopped.

My face paled as my stomach fell to the floor as they tried to restart her heart.

"No, no, no, no" I muttered uncontrollably, my hands making their way to my hair as I began to pull "no, no, no"

Yet the flat line was still there, their attempts failing

The doctors and nurses looked at one another before nodding "time of death 8:45 pm"

"WHAT!!!" I screeched as Ben shouted "NOO"

"YOU CANT STOP, KEEP TRYING! YOU'RE DOCTORS YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SAVE PEOPLE" they shot me sympathetic looks as they began to filter out the room; the only member of hospital staff remaining was Chris who covered my mother's face with the white sheet.

"I'm so sorry" he said sincerely "we tried all we could" I nodded, refraining from losing my temper at him, he had tried all he could, there was no point getting mad at him.

I retreated my footsteps as he left the room I kept backing away, my feet stepping further and further away from the scene as I just shook my head, not wanting to believe it.

Any of it.

My back came into contact with the cold, white, concrete wall, a pang of pain shooting up my spine due to the impact, but it didn't register, nor did the fact that Ben was trying to scoop me up off the ground as I slid down the wall. My mind was screaming at me, yet I couldn't make sense of it all.

She was dead.

After all the times I had actually wished her dead, she actually is.

Gone.

She was here, just a few minutes ago, smiling, talking; being the mom I had missed the last couple of years.

And now...she was gone.

My eyes fought back the tears, yet failed, as they cascaded freely down my face, my focus fixated on the scene in front of me

"Mitch, Mitch" my body stiffened as Ben successfully lifted me of the floor and wrapped his arms around me, turning me around, my back away from my mother who was lying peacefully on the bed,face covered. "Mitch" he cooed again, stroking my hair as I realised I was full blown sobbing, my body jerking in his embrace.

I opened my mouth to speak, to say something, anything, but I couldn't. In a strange way I felt a sense of déjà vu, I was crying over my mother again.

Sure the situation was different from the last time, but something was missing now, I needed the strong embrace, words of reassurance whispered in my ears, but Ben wasn't the person.

He wasn't the person I was imagining I was with right now.

Not even close.

"Mitch, is there anyone you want to call?" Ben's voice knocked me out of my thoughts as I pulled away from his tight embrace, looking him in the eyes, i nodded my head as my hands automatically made their way into my bag, searching frantically for my phone. My hands clutched around my phone as I pulled it out, my focus moving to the screen as I dialled the number I had learnt off by heart.

My shaky legs carried me out of the room and into the corridor, a sheet of glass the only thing now dividing myself and my mother as the call connected.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

C'mon please pick up the phone!

"Hello? Mitchie?" his voice filled my ears, as I closed my eyes "Mitchie, are you okay?"His voice was frantic; he had been worried about me.

"S-Shane" my voice cracked as I said his name, a small sob escaping my lips

"Mitch, are you crying, baby what's happened?" I cried harder at the concern in his voice, he shouldn't care, I had left him, embarrassed him, he should hate me.

I hate me.

I should have just said what I felt the other night, admitted that I was damn sure that I was falling for him too, and hard.

But I was scared; scared to let myself feel that way towards someone again, to let down my guards completely. I had learnt that being vulnerable wasn't an option, appearing weak was pathetic, and being anything but independent was deemed as a failure.

But just look at me now, I've already let down those guards for him, he's seen me vulnerable, hell what am I right now? I'm a mess. And being independent. Please. I couldn't be more dependent on wanting him here right now.

"S-Shane, I'm sorry" tripped over my words as I tried to get to the point, I wanted him here, with me. Not in Italy or wherever he currently was

"Mitch" he said cautiously "what's happened, where are you? Do you want me there, because I'll fly over, I'll be on the next plane, just tell me where you are"

I stumbled to one of the chairs, throwing myself down "It's my mom" I started quietly, my breath getting caught in my throat several times, I was pretty sure I was hyperventilating "Shane, she's dead"

I heard Shane gasp slightly on the other side of the line as I heard him call for Nate "Nate get your ass here now!"

"_What now!? Dude, I was just about to jump in the shower"_

"Tell me where Mitchie is now or I will pound the shit out of you..." the line fell silent for a few seconds as I heard mumbles in the background "Mitch I'll be there in a few hours okay? Stay strong"

I nodded even though I knew he couldn't see me "I love you" I said confidently, and I meant it

"I love you too" the line went dead as I let the phone fall to my lap

He was coming, and right now that's the happiest news I could've got.

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**So there you go, chapter 19 done! I can't believe it, 19 chapters of this story already, that's crazy, I remember when I started this, it was merely an idea which I thought I'd try my luck at. So let's see if you amazing people can get me to 480 by the time I update next!**

**Thanks!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Okay, o-fucking-Kay you are amazing, like I love you all, I'll have all of your babies quite happily, well after Nick Jonas' because let's face it, that man/boy/thing is begging for a slice of me. 521 REVIEWS! IN 19 CHAPTERS! OH MY GOD. You make me all so happy. Especially my girls- kirsty, sab and sandy, I love you guys so much.**

**NOTICE: I have begun a fic on JBFA (Jonas Brother Fan fiction Achieve) called Over My Head, my user name is xxhellolovely. Please check it out and tell me what you think or I won't update this ahah!**

**IM SO SORRY I HAVENT UPDATED IN FOREVER, I'VE BEEN PRETTY RUNDOWN AND WORKIN MY ASS OFF, I PROMISE I'LL HAVE ANOTHER UPDATE WITH YOU ON A FIC ON MONDAY/TUESDAY**

**-its 1:26am i havent proof read this ,ohwell. youve got an update**

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**SHANE**

I don't think I ever packed so lightly or quickly in my life, and I'm Shane Gray for crying out loud, I won't go anywhere without at least 2 changes of clothes, possibly more, not to mention various grooming products, and other essentials which could be needed at any moment.

But now? Now I'm running down the terminal gate with a duffel bag running for my plane. Mitchie had called me less than an hour ago in hysterics, her voice desperate as she sobbed down the phone. It literally killed me hearing her like that.

Maybe killed wasn't the right word to use in this situation, but you get what I mean.

I pushed my way through hoards of people as I finally made it to the gate, an Italian woman standing impatiently at the door for me, her face displaying an unimpressed expression. Out of breath I pulled my boarding pass from out of my pocket before shoving it towards her, I didn't have a second to waste. The sooner I was on that plane, the sooner it could take off.

The sooner I could be there with Mitchie.

"Enjoy your flight sir" she smiled a fake smile as she bid me farewell.

I mumbled a response as I threw the bag over my shoulder as I dragged my exhausted body onto the plane.

"Ticket sir?" my gaze shot up to meet the stewardess' , her long blonde hair tied up in a perfect French twist. I glanced at my ticket, not yet knowing where the hell I was sitting, it didn't matter, first class was always impeccable, no matter where I was situated. I handed her the ticket as she extended her arm down the aisle

"Row 20 C of the economy cabin"

Err say what now?

"Economy?" I questioned out loud as my eyebrows knitted together in confusion, she obviously read the ticket wrong, that had to be it, there was no way I had a seat in economy class.

She nodded slowly, not seeing my problem "Yes Sir..." her voice trailed off as her eyes widened "Oh" she muttered "Oh my god. _You're_ Shane Gray"

I smiled and nodded "that's me"

She bit her lip nervously as she looked at me with an apologetic expression "you got the last seat on the flight, there's no more in business or first class, I'm so sorry" she began to ramble her voice getting higher and higher

I shrugged, economy it was. I had to be on this flight, no doubt, I don't even care if I had to sit in the toilet cubicle for 8 hours. I needed to be with her. "Don't worry, it's fine" I shot her one of my signature smiles as she guided me to my aisle seat, my mind too occupied to even take notice of the sort of passenger who was currently sitting beside me.

I buckled myself in, exhaling deeply as I retrieved what I had learnt to be Mitchie's iPod from my bag, putting one head phone in my ear as I glanced to my left noticing a young brunette girl sitting next to me, mouth hanging open in shock.

Shit, it was a fan.

She couldn't have been more than16 max. I gave her a tight lip smile as I nodded politely, acknowledging her before reverting my gaze to the iPod in my lap, not before I caught her frantically IM'ing out of the corner of my eye.

This was going to be one interesting flight, where were the sleeping pills when you needed them?

-

* * *

MITCHIE

I inhaled deeply, the fresh night air filling my lungs as I stared out into the parking lot. I don't know how long I'd been sitting there for, or what time it was, but I did know one thing

My mom was dead.

It's a funny thing- death. It's inevitable, there's no way of avoiding it, sooner or later destiny tells you your number is up and you move on.

Where to? Who knows. Is there a heaven? Or even a hell? I'd like to believe there is, that there's somewhere you move onto once your time here is up, that this isn't the end.

But maybe it was.

Wishful thinking has never gotten me anywhere in this life, why would it in another?

But no matter how much you mentally prepare yourself for losing someone you love, especially a parent, it doesn't matter, because when the time comes, your world still crashes around you.

Everything you were so sure of, means nothing.

Everything you thought you could depend on, is no more.

Death is a cruel occurrence and no matter how much you wish and pray, it can't be reversed. But it didn't stop me trying, it didn't stop me screaming my mom's name as I watched doctors pound on her lifeless chest, it didn't stop me shaking my head refusing to believe the words leaving the doctor's lips as he pronounced her dead, it didn't stop me begging no one in particular.

I owed my life to her, and now she was gone.

My eyes watched as car after car drove into the hospital car park, my mind trying to take interest as I battled to distract myself from what had happened, but it was no use. I sighed heavily as the tears slowly continued to trickle down my cheeks, the cold air hitting them, leaving a cool trail down my face.

My eyes blurred over with tears once more as I bowed my head, not wanting to be seen, I didn't do vulnerable, not if I could help it anyway, until I heard a car pull up directly in front of me. I tucked my head in further causing my hair to shield my face as the door opened, as I heard the sound of two feet making contact with the concrete sidewalk.

The door slammed shut as the car sharply pulled away leaving an eerie silence. I counted to ten in my head, hoping that whoever got out, had walked away or was at far enough distance to not see my disastrous appearance. I cautiously raised my head, my gaze slowly following as my eyes caught sight of a pair of shoes.

Not just any shoes.

Nike ID's

Shane's Nike ID's.

My head automatically shot up, my eyes locking with his concerned ones as he stood there, bag flung over one shoulder, eyes slightly bloodshot from his obvious lack of sleep.

My body quivered as a huge sense of relief washed over me, a small sob escaping my lips, he was here. His eyes widened as he dropped his duffel bag to the floor as he took a small stride towards me, engulfing me in his arms.

I stiffened as my body registered to his touch, the absence of his arms wrapped around me acknowledged before I found myself relax. I buried my head in his chest, inhaling the smell of his signature cologne as he brought me to my feet, his grip still tight around me.

He swayed me gently side to side attempting to calm me as sobs continued to escape my lips every now and again. He didn't say anything.

He didn't need to.

He was here, and that was all that mattered.

We stood in the comfortable silence for what seemed like an eternity before he reluctantly pulled away from me slightly, his eyes boring into mine.

I opened my mouth, fighting back the urge to breakdown "I'm sorry..." I choked out, my voice breaking.

I was sorry.

"Shh" he hushed me, putting a finger to my lips "not now" he said, referring to what happened back in Milan "later"

I nodded meekly as he placed a kiss on my temple, calming my nerves as random pedestrians continued to walk by us.

"How are you holding up?" he asked after a few seconds, cautiously, knowing that he was entering conversation on a fragile topic.

I sniffed, nodding slightly "I'm okay, better that you're here" he smiled slightly at my confession.

"Come on you, it's getting cold, and it looks like you haven't slept an ounce in two days, let's get you to bed"

"b-but I don't have anywhere to go" I furrowed my eyebrows confused, Ben was long gone, and there was no way I could intrude on my dad at 3am.

Shane let a small smile tug at his lips as he pushed a piece of my hair behind my ear " well it's a good thing that you have a boyfriend who thinks of everything"

My breath hitched in my throat for a second "boyfriend?" I repeated out loud "but I left you..."

He hushed me once more as he laced his fingers with mine and walked towards the taxi rank.

The taxi journey was short yet quiet, the only noise filling the cab was our breathing and the soft humming of an rascal flatts song coming from the driver. My gaze focused on Shane's brightly coloured shoes laminated by the passing street lights as he pulled me closer towards him, my head resting comfortably on his chest. I had missed this.

Being near Shane, feeling safe.

The car pulled up outside a fairly deserted building which I quickly identified as a motel from the half lit luminous sign outside

"I'm sorry it's not a little more...humane, but it's the best I could get. Surprisingly the staff at the Hilton aren't friendly at 2am in the morning" he sounded guilty has he guided me out of the taxi, handing the driver a fistful of notes before insisting that he kept the change.

"It's perfect Shane" I admitted truthfully as we entered the quaint reception, the decor simple yet homely, making me realise just how much I had missed New Jersey.

The receptionist- a middle aged woman with the worst styled hair I'd ever seen handed Shane the room key with minimal conversation as he turned to me "wait right here, i'll be two minutes"

Before I could question him, he sprinted out towards the exit, grabbing our luggage and disappearing up a flight of stairs to which I could only presume to be our room. I let my eyes wonder as I waited patiently, the occasional yawn escaping my lips as my lack of sleep hit me.

"back" Shane's voice knocked me out of my daze as his arms wrapped around my waist before his weight shifted, picking me up bridal style

"What are you-" yawn "doing?" I asked utterly bewildered, I could walk you know

"I thought it was pretty obvious I'm carrying you to our room" he replied as he began to climb the concrete flight of stairs

"Why?" I said through another yawn "Isn't it bad luck or something to carry your unwed partner into a hotel room?"

He rolled his eyes "well I could put you down..."

"No!" I was all too quick to backtrack on my argument, as I contently laid in his arms

The door was already open for us as he carried me in, gently laying me on the perfectly made bed before closing the door behind him and crawling next to me, automatically pulling me onto his lap

"So tomorrow" he breathed out, taking a stand of my hair into his hands "we'll start making arrangements, contact people, and go see your dad"

Err what?! "Shane, you have a concert in..." I looked at my watch, working out the time difference for Athens- where he should be now... "Shane! You missed a concert!" I exclaimed, trying to pull away slightly, I was now angry, it didn't matter how much I needed him, he had a sold out world tour, missing a concert was... unacceptable

He scoffed "and?" he said unphazed "Nate and Jason totally understand, and there's no way I could have performed knowing you needed me"

"But Shane! It's your job, plus I walked out on you, I freaking humiliated you..."

"Screw my job, you're far more important"

My heart swelled as I shook my head, not wanting to let him win, no matter how much I knew I needed him. "You've got to be on stage in 12 hours, you need to get to the airport"

He let out a small laugh at my sudden panic "Mitch relax, there is no shows"

"What!?" I exclaimed

"I've postponed all shows for the next week"

My mouth opened and closed several time as I tried to process what he had just told me. This was Shane gray. Shane Gray the work obsessed, vain, show loving pop sensation who lived for live shows.

I was speechless, he did that for me. They did that for me, they risked upsetting hundreds of thousands of fans all for me. I nuzzled my head deeper into his chest, as I tried to hide the tears that were threatening to spill from my eyes.

My heart began racing in my chest as I tried to draw conclusions from my current emotions, the realisation hitting me like a tonne of bricks.

He really did love me.

He had put his life on hold for me.

And, and I loved him back.

I loved him, holy shit, I was in love with Shane Gray.

"Shane?"

"Mmm?" he hummed out still running his hands softly through my hair

"I love you" I said sincerely as I felt his freeze and tense up, his fingers lightly holding on to a stand of my dishevelled hair

He readjusted himself under me so he could look at me, his face displaying one of shock "what?" he managed to choke out

I shrugged slightly " I love you" I repeated

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he pinched himself on the arm "what are you doing?" I asked

"Pinching myself to see if I was dreaming" I rolled my eyes and swatted his arm playfully before gaining composure and looking at him dead in the eyes

"I Mitchie Torres love _you_ Shane Gray"

His mouth broke out into a shit eating grin as his eyes lit up "but I thought.... I love you too" before I could register what was happening his lips crashed upon mine in a hungry manner yet sweet manner as I instantly relaxed into the kiss, my body at ease as his hands cupped my face before he reluctantly pulled away, leaving me pouting

"As much as I'd love to continue this, you've had a tough 48 hours and you need sleep"

I opened my mouth to protest, stating that we should totally continue, yet Shane was only greeted by a yawn. I nodded, knowing there was no point arguing as I crawled under the covers, Shane following suit as I snuggled next to him, leaving no room between us

I let out a content sigh as I felt my eyelids drop the last thing I heard before I drifted into a state of unconsciousness was Shane's calming voice "I love you."

-

* * *

I awoke the next morning, my head throbbing as I wished I could fall back to sleep. I stirred, rolling onto my side, realising that I was alone in bed, my hands wandering the place where I knew Shane was lying hours before. My eyes shot open as they adjusted to the light, my arms supporting my weight as I propped myself up noticing that Shane was outside the motel room talking on his phone.

After unsuccessfully trying to eavesdrop into his conversation without having to actually move, I got up, deciding that a shower was much needed. I dragged myself into the small bathroom as I dared to look at my reflection in the mirror, my eyes widening at the sight. I looked awful, how Shane could say he loved me whilst I looked like this was absolutely beyond me.

If I was up against Shrek in a beauty contest right now, he would win, hands down.

I stepped into the shower, forcing myself to endure the hottest shower I could handle as I tried to wash away the events of the past couple of days off of me, wanting to leave the shower with everything being how it was before. I closed my eyes letting the water wash over me as my mind flooded with memories of my mom, my tears mixing with the water from the shower. No matter how much I forced myself to believe that it wasn't my fault, I still felt responsible for her death.

It was my fault her and Ben got so close, if he didn't practically live at our house then they would have never interacted with one another, they would have never hooked up. And I wouldn't have cut her out of my life.

That's what killed me the most. That the last year or so of her life, she lived with me- her only child despising the fact that she was still roaming the earth, refusing to acknowledge her, disowning her as my parent.

She was my mother for crying out loud and it wasn't until a matter of minutes before her death did I realise just how much she meant to me.

And now? Now she'd never get the chance to hear me say it. For me to say how much I love her.

I turned off the water, and stepped out of the shower, feeling more refreshed as I wrapped a towel around my damp body, walking back into the main area of the room to see Shane had finished talking to whoever he was talking to.

"Who were you on the phone to?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me as I sat down at the end of the bed

"A lot of people" he said vaguely

I rolled my eyes "care to elaborate?"

"Nate, Your family, funeral directors, florists..."

Hold on, back track, what. "My family?!" He nodded "H-how?" I hadn't spoken to anyone in my family since I'd left, what if he had talked to my dad... god only knows what state he was in right now.

"Mitchie" he cooed "I'm Shane Gray, you can get your hands on pretty much anything when you're me"

"Wow ego boost much?" I replied sarcastically as I tried to keep a straight face, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of him seeing me smile at his egotistical ways. "What did you say to them, what have you done?

"Details to you moms funeral and wake"

"But I haven't even began organising it..."

"no need, its sorted, we're giving her the best send off money can buy, I'll take you to the florist later to choose the flowers and the service will be at the same church as where your grandparents are buried then the wake is going to be held at your old house"

I blinked several times, seriously when did I get so lucky? I didn't deserve him, I really didn't "I don't know what to say, I'll pay you back..."

"You will do no such thing!" he protested, kneeling down at my level "I'm a guy with a lot of money in his possession Mitch, let me spend my money how I want, and I _want_ to do this"

I nodded, fighting back the urge to just jump him right here, right now "thank you" my eyes blurred over as I realised I was crying again.

His hand instantly found its way to my face, his calloused thumb wiping away the stray tears trickling down my face "there's something you should know though Mitchie..." he began, his tone changing slightly "When I tried to get in contact with your dad, I got no answer, so I called your uncle... he's not at home Mitch"

"What do you mean he's not at home?" I asked confused, was he out? So what if he was out, he had a life...

" He was admitted into a mental institute little over a month ago"

I froze.

My dad, in a mental institute.

And he's been there for over a month? I was overwhelmed with guilt as I realised just how bad of a daughter I was, I didn't even know that my own father was so mentally unstable he had to be institutionalised

"h-h-how is he?" I choked out, my voice thick with emotion

Shane sighed "not good Mitch"

I gulped harshly as I fought back the sobs forming at the back of my throat "can I see him?"

He nodded "whenever you're ready, I told the staff already to make an exception for you"

"Will you come with me?" I asked nervously, not knowing if we were at that point in our relationship where he was willing to meet my mentally estranged father.

His eyes widened as he nodded "of course I will" he said as it was the most obvious thing in the world "I'm not going anywhere."

And guess what? I believed him.

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So there you go, there is chapter 20 done and dusted! NEXT CHAPTER IS THE FUNERAL AND THE MEETING OF THE DAD, WHICH WILL BE GOOD! Hope you liked it, they sorted things out! Yay! Well yay for now anyway. Please tell me what you think I'd love to be at 550 reviews by the time I update!


	21. Chapter 21

**Why hello guys! I've been away for quite a while now I haven't I? I'm sorry; a lot has happened with working full time, starting college, family issues and such like, its became difficult for me to have time to sleep let alone write, but I'm going to try and give you frequent updates again, I promise. So I'll warn you now this chapter has taken me like 6 weeks to write because I have just lacked the motivation to do anything in my life so I apologise. **

**This chapter isnt the best so i do apologise!  
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**MITCHIE-**

I'm not going.

Basically I've spent the entire night tossing and turning in Shane's arms to come to the conclusion that I can't go and see my dad.

Cant...Wont... same thing right?

Well it is to me.

I just...can't. My dad had never been completely right in the head ever since I could remember, he claimed that he was happy, that everything was okay, but it wasn't. He was watching his wife, the love of his life go out night after night and break her vows- to commit adultery. And yet he never did anything. The strong exterior he put on as I grew up was just a cover up, keeping his emotions under wraps.

It killed me. It chipped away at him, his sanity slowly slipping from him whilst she was at some cheap motel or in some darkened alley legs spread open.

But I could have helped him, I could have been there for him, like he had been there for me for so many years, and what did I do?

Run.

Leave without a second thought, and swapped coasts. My empty promises of staying in contact were just that- empty. I'm ashamed, guilty, and damn right scared. I was selfish, only thinking of myself as I packed my bags and ran away from my mother and Ben, not giving my dad a second thought. I had been a crap daughter. And I still was.

I pulled out of Shane's grip, flinging the covers off of me in pure frustration as I strided towards the plain decorated bathroom, turning on the tap harshly as I leaned against the porcelain sink disheartened as I looked at my washed out reflection in the mirror.

Yesterday's make up smudged around my eyes, my hair sticking up in every direction imaginable- I looked like a hot mess.

My hand found its way to the tap as I slowly turned it on, letting the sound of the water hitting the porcelain calm me momentarily as I pursed my eyes closed tightly. The over thinking causing my head to spin. I inhaled deeply, trying to focus my mind on nothing. If I couldn't think of anything then I couldn't feel guilty over it. I continued to stand there in silence until I felt a strong pair of arms wrap around my waist as well as a chin rest on my shoulder. My body relaxed in Shane's embrace as he rubbed my sides whilst placing a single kiss on my shoulder blade "Morning beautiful, I thought you would still be asleep"

I shrugged "I couldn't sleep"

"I'm sorry baby, why don't you take a shower and I'll make us some breakfast, you must be starving" I simply nodded, thinking that a hot shower was just the thing I needed right now, to drown off the memories.

Perfect.

Shane left the bathroom, shutting the door quietly behind him as I stripped myself from an oversized tee shirt of his before stepping under the hot water, instantly relaxing my muscles as it came in contact with my skin. I let the water continue to fall for a little longer before wrapping a towel around myself and making my way towards the kitchen area, the smell of eggs and bacon filling my nostrils

"When did you have time to go get eggs and bacon?" I asked with raised eyebrows, confused.

"You were in there for like 25 minutes, besides there's a store next door as it happens" he let out a slight chuckle as he went back to focusing on not burning the eggs, his face scrunching up in concentration

I quickly got changed into a pair of jeans and a black hoodie before throwing my hair up into a messy bun, feeling the need to make no effort with my appearance today. I walked towards the table and sat down, eyeing up the plate of food set in front of me. Hats off to Shane he does make some pretty sexy looking eggs.

I was about to open my mouth to thank him when a loud ringing sound came from another part of the suite. "I'll go see who that is"

Shane disappeared into the other room searching for his phone as I attempted to eat the breakfast Shane had prepared to me, however my appetite was nonexistent. I pushed the food around the plate absentmindedly as Shane re-entered the room, clutching onto his cell

"Apparently, the call is for you" he said, passing me the phone. I hurriedly swallowed the mouthful of food I hate forced myself to consume as I raised the phone to my ear

"Hello?"

"How's my favourite girl in the world holding up?" I smiled at the voice on the other end of the phone- Nate, my stomach falling slightly as it hit me just how much I missed him and everyone else

"I do hope Caitlyn's not around, otherwise my dearest Nate procreating may not be an option for you"

He let out a laugh "don't worry her and Jason are out at the zoo, before you say, I know. But apparently Jason woke up with the urge to visit some monkeys"

I couldn't help but let out a snort before laughing; only Jason could possibly wake up with the urge to visit monkeys.

"Gotta love him" I added.

"If you say so... But Mitchie, how are you doing, is my brother taking good care of you because I swear if he's not I will hunt him down and kick his ass"

"I'm okay Nate and don't worry you're brother is treating me like royalty" I couldn't help but look at Shane as I said it, his curiosity obviously being caught as he was mentioned

"I'm glad. I gotta dash Mitchie Moo, someone's got to run the band whilst others are playing with primates, if you need me or want to talk call, okay? I don't care what time it is or if it's the most trivial conversation we'd ever engage in, you hear me?"

"Yes sir!"

"Bye sweetie, miss you"

"Bye lover, see you soon" I said as I hung up the phone, passing it back to Shane

"Lover?" he inquired "should I be worried?"

Mine and Nate's relationship was merely platonic. And that's all it would ever be. Sure we called each other a variety of pet names and engaged in worryingly amount of hugs every time we saw one another, but he was simply filling the 'brother I never had' title.

"Well actually Shane..." I said slowly "Nate and I eloped the other week and we thought it was about time you should know" I tried to keep a straight face as Shane's eyebrows knitted together in confusion

"Are you serious?!" he replied uneasily, looking at me dead in the eyes

I rolled my eyes "of course Shane"

He breathed out a sigh of relief "thank god for that, for a second you had me going there"

How 'special' is my boyfriend everyone?

-

* * *

So my plan of not visiting my dad failed. Epically. After a 20 minute begging session and being dragged into a taxi by my so called boyfriend here I was in the local mental institute, shaking like a leaf.

I stood meters away from the door, my feet frozen to the ground as my eyes scanned the bland corridor, the white walls sucking out any warmth I had previously felt. My breathing swallowed slightly as I was overwhelmed with a sudden feeling of nervousness and guilt.

I stood behind Shane, idly playing with my hands as he opened the door, his height, blocking my initial view of the room which contained my dad. I kept my gaze low as Shane turned towards me, taking his hands in mine, as he lowered his face to my ear and said just above a whisper "I love you". I raised my gaze to meet his, letting a slight smile tug at my lips as we walked into the room, the plain interior continuing.

"Mitchie!" the voice exclaimed as my eyes fell on my dad, tears automatically welling in my eyes. I studied his face, his skin paler than I remembered, his eyes now missing the once evident sparkle they used to hold. He had aged, he looked tired, he was a shadow of the man he used to be.

I ran over to my dad, my arms outstretched as embraced him in the biggest hug I could muster. I clinged on for dear life as my body readjusted itself to the protection and warmth of my dad's embraced I had so desperately missed all the time I had been away. I felt my emotions get the better of me, tears pooling in my eyes- but I wouldn't let them slip. I couldn't. I had to be strong, showing my emotion when my dad was unstable as he was wouldn't do anyone any favours.

I reluctantly pulled away from my dad as I locked my eyes with his, my lips curling into a tight lipped smile as I made my way back over to Shane.

Shane took a seat on the cushioned chair as I sat on his lap, his arms snaking around my waste as he pulled me as close to him as humanly possible, his chin resting on my shoulder, his hot breath ticking my neck.

"How's your mother?" he asked genuinely interested as he locked his eyes with mine. My heart dropped...he hadn't heard?

I gulped harshly "Dad" I said softly, preparing myself for the news I was about to break "something happened...mom, she...she passed away"

His eyes widened before blinking several times, his face scrunching up as he tried to comprehend what I had just told him. "I know you didn't like her dear, but this isn't something to joke about" he said just above a whisper

"She's not lying sir" Shane added, his voice steady as he looked at my father straight in the eyes.

My dad's face fell, his expression washed with sadness as he lowered his gaze; he remained silent for a few minutes as I couldn't help but squirm uncomfortably on Shane's lap, not liking the topic of conversation nor the silence. After all, she was the love of my dad's life, he never looked at anyone else, and even after everything she had done to him, the pain she had caused, he still loved her.

As he raised his head once more, I noticed his eyes glistening, a sad smile spread across his face. I sighed sadly as I explained everything to him, not leaving out a single detail about her death or the time running up to it.

Shane began to fidget underneath me, his gaze darting between the window and my father frantically, coming to think about it, he was looking anywhere and everywhere but me. Small talk between the three of us continued for a good couple of hours, as my dad got to know Shane and my new job before it died down and Shane spoke up.

"Err, Mitchie, do you mind if I could speak to your dad alone for a moment?" my eyebrows furrowed together in confusion as I looked at Shane, why on earth did he want to speak to my dad....alone? With me in the room, that's understandable, but without me?

"Sure..." I said slowly, still confused as I got up from my chair, aka Shane's lap

I pulled the door shut slowly, trying to hear even the slightest bit of conversation to settle my curiosity.

"Mr Torres, there was something I wanted to ask you..."

_Err say what now?_

_-

* * *

_

SHANE:

I watched helplessly as Mitchie raced across her room trying to get ready, literally dragging her body back and forth between the bathroom and her bedroom as she tried to get ready for the day ahead of us. It was finally here- the funeral. In all my years of existing on this earth, I had only been to one funeral- Kyle's and it's safe to say that funerals were the worst things ever.

Saying goodbye to someone I loved was hard, knowing id never see them again- at least not in this lifetime- even harder. However much I tried to accept it, there was still a part of me, a tiny part of me that believed that I would wake up and it would have all been one horrible nightmare. Until the funeral. The reality of it all hit me like a ton of bricks, suffocating me as I watched his coffin get lowered into the ground. Kyle had so much going for him, so much potential, but it was all wasted.

I couldn't even begin to comprehend what Mitchie was feeling as she finally fixed her hair up, her lips pressed together in a tight line, her eyes glistening slightly. She had always been such a strong person, and even now she tried to keep composure when the worst was happening. She was burying a parent- someone who as a child you thought would be around forever, just as they had sorted things out. God worked in mysterious ways- that's the only thing I could say.

She sighed as she stood up from the foot of the bed, straightening out her plain black dress, as she shrugged on a black and stepped into a pair of black heels "I guess it's time to face the music" she sighed in the most upbeat voice she could muster as she made her way to the hotel door. I simply smiled sadly at her as I took her hand in mine; leading her down the two flights of stairs to the black BMW waiting for us.

-

The car pulled up outside the church as I noticed the hoards of people filtering into the building, all dressed in black. For someone who had such a bad reputation she sure had a lot of friends. I turned to face Mitchie who was numbly sitting beside me staring at the head rest for the passenger, her expression showing that she was deep in thought. I felt so helpless, as I brought my hand to her cheek, wiping away the single tear that had escaped her eyes. Her gaze met mine as she unbuckled herself, nodding, telling me that she was ready. I got out of the car quickly before speeding over to the other side, opening the door for Mitchie. I took her hand as we walked quietly behind numerous other people into the church, Mitchi clutching onto a large bouquet of white lillies- apparently her mother's favourite. The church was already filled with countless numbers of guests , many already emotional, as we made our way to the front pew, silently.

-

The ceremony so far had gone without any drama, the words and songs proving that despite the obvious reputation Mitchie's mother held that ultimately she was a good lady at heart, who was loved by many.

"And now Susan's daughter Michelle will say a few words"

I squeezed Mitchie's hand tightly as she rose from her seat slowly, her limbs shaking slightly as she made her way to the front of the church.

She opened her mouth ready to speak when she choked out a sob, her hands shaking, her body quivering slightly, I slowly raised myself from my seat, prepared to go up to her when I was beaten to it by Ben, his strong arms, pulling her to his side in an embrace. Any other time I would be sizing this guy up and giving him some threatening glares for touching Mitchie, but after all they were mourning then I was, they were the ones going through the pain of losing someone close to them, who was I to stand in the way and get jealous?

Quiet words were exchanged between the pair as Mitchie nodded as she regained her composure, looking at the piece of paper littered with messy notes

"Mom always told me when I was a kid, that life didn't have its dress rehearsals, that it was one big show, drama was inevitable, laughter and tears would become the two most common things you do, but ultimately your resolution, happy ending would come, and it has. And I have her to thank for that. We had our ups and downs, our fair share of fights but all of it got me to where I am today." She locked eyes with me, as I finally understood what she was talking about- that it brought us together. "I'm not going to say she was the world's best mother, because she wasn't, but to me she is irreplaceable, and anyone who was lucky enough to know her would know just how much of a gem she really was." Her eyes focused on the casket in front of her "I never used to say this a lot mom, but I love you."

The service finished not long after as we found ourselves in the back of one of Mitchie's relatives car's on the way to the wake- which was being held at her aunt's house

I intertwined my fingers with Mitchie's as we hand in hand mingled and exchanged pleasantries with various family friends and relatives, trying to pass the time as best we could. I knew she wanted nothing more than to just curl up in bed and forget that today ever happened. The day had gone smoothly, her mom getting a send off she deserved, no drama had occurred, well that was until a voice from behind us changed that.

"Well if it isn't Michelle Torres, it's nice to see that you could finally show your face after so long, shame it was the fact that your mother died for you to visit" Mitchie's gripped on my hand tightened, her body becoming rigid as she slowly began to turn to the source. I turned also to come face to face with a bitter faced red head in her late forties, eyes narrowed and arms crossed, glaring at Mitchie

Mitchie gulped harshly as I pulled her towards me.

"Lost for words Michelle? Not like you is it? You used to be oh so vocal when accusing your mother of ridiculous accusations"

I was losing my temper quickly, who the hell was this woman and why on earth was she treating Mitchie this way, on the day of her mom's burial of all days. "I'm sorry and you are?" I asked in the most level voice I could muster, trying not to let any of my obvious anger filter through

"Why don't you introduce me to your boyfriend Michelle?"

She nodded slowly "Shane, this is my Auntie Clara, Auntie Clara this is my boyfriend Shane"

I politely extended my hand towards her, expecting the same in return as we would civilly shake hands, but when I did; she let out a slight scoff, keeping her arms firmly at her side.

Okay, that's a little rude. Hold on...aunt?

"Yes I'm Susan's sister." Ah now it all makes sense. The bitter sister who believed her little sister was a complete angel.

"Mitchie!" a high pitched voice screamed in excitement as I noticed a little girl, no older than about six running towards us, arms extended, her tiny legs carrying her at a such a speed I was surprised she could keep her balance.

"Kimberly don't!" the lady I had identified as Clara shouted bluntly, pulling the girl back from getting any closer to Mitchie. She turned her attention from us to the little girl "go and find your father"

"But I want to see Mitchie!" her voice full of enthusiasm and admiration. Her eyes widened as they fell on me, her mouth forming an 'o' "Oh...my...SHANE GRAY?! Momma let me say hi, please, please, please!"

"No." Clara replied sternly, momentarily glaring at Mitchie

"Why!"

"Because I don't want you near her, now go find your father" I just stood there in shock as I watched her practically ban the girl who I could only presume was a relative be anywhere near Mitchie. I looked towards my girlfriend to see her staring sadly at Kimberly, her eyes glistening.

Oh hell no,

No one gets away with making my girl cry. No one.

The girl scurried off sadly, her head hung low as Clara let a smug grin appear on her face

"You really are a nasty piece of work" I said out loud, shaking my head slightly

"Shane don't." Mitchie muttered bluntly

"I'm sorry, _what _did you say?" Clara scoffed, folding her arms around her chest

"I said, you're a nasty piece of work" I tried to release myself from Mitchie's grip, but she wouldn't have it

"Please Shane"

"Me?!" she scoffed once more "I'm sorry maybe you should look at your _girlfriend_ if anyone's a nasty piece of work it's her"

Mitchie dropped her arms to her side before running off in the opposite direction, her body jerking as I heard sobs escaped her lips.

It was as if I saw red "_How dare you?_" I snapped "How dare you? If it hasn't slipped your attention Mitchie had to bury her mother today, yes you may have lost a sister but she's lost a parent. It's neither the time nor place for you to start getting bitter because you're in denial over how much of a whore your sister was. And don't go and say she wasn't because I think the fact that she was carrying her 19yr old daughters ex boyfriends baby pretty much gives that away. Mitchie is an amazing person, far better than you'll ever be so why don't you just leave her alone and let her grieve for her mother without you making her utterly miserable." And with that I left her, mouth open wide, shock evident on my face. Maybe I was a little too harsh, but I couldn't care less.

I scanned the rooms, searching for Mitchie, before finding myself on the porch, the cool air hitting my face. And that's when I saw her, broken, sobbing hysterically on the porch step, her head buried in her lap. My heart literally broke at the sight of her, my legs carrying themselves towards her as I sat down silently

"God really hates me doesn't he?" She voiced after a while, the question directed at no one in particular "like he must really hate me. First my mother dies, then I'm forced to see my dad so mentally unstable that he can barely function properly and now this? My family hates me, and I'm pretty sure you resent me for making you come all the way over here when you have shows to play" her voice cracked all over the place, the odd dob escaping her lips as she struggled to keep composure

I opened my mouth to protest, until she continued, now lifting her head up and looking straight in front of her, not daring to lock eyes with me "Why has this happened to me? Why me? Was I some evil serial killer in a previous life that I was destined to go through all of this. My boyfriend and my mother, the _baby,_ my dad? Why?"

"Mitchie, you're an amazing person, don't ever think for a moment that you deserved any of this, but no one said life was supposed to be easy. I don't know his reasoning's, but God works in mysterious ways" I tried to reason with her, but the truth of the matter was that I simply had no idea what to say? Of course it wasn't her fault, how could it? But she wouldn't just accept that, and I had no viable reason as to why it all happened.

"Take me home Shane" she sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes "please."

I nodded wordlessly as I helped her up off of the step, pulling her close to my side. Tomorrow was a new day, a fresh start, and by the end of it she'd be back with the people who loved her the most; Caitlyn, Nate, Jason and me.

-

* * *

Mitchie

My mind was all over the place, I was a mess and now I was being dragged to the nearest airport against my will, or was I? I wanted to leave, to go back to Nate, Caitlyn and Jason, to be with Shane. But my dad. I couldn't leave him; I couldn't do him wrong- again could I? He said he understood that I shouldn't put my life on hold because of him. But he's the reason I had life to begin with and even with his blessing I couldn't help but feel immense guilt about packing my suitcase and taking advantage of the first class seat waiting for me to take me to Portugal.

But Shane was my everything. If you had told me that a couple of months ago I would have called you crazy and laughed, but now, now I couldn't even begin to imagine my life without him. He challenged me, kept me on my feet, he made me laugh, he made feel loved.

And I loved him.

So when I got into the taxi, my mind was made up, I was going, I'd carry on with the tour, do my job and adjust to the thought of no longer having my mother around and deal with the unbearable amount of guilt I was experiencing knowing my dad was all alone in a mental institution.

The taxi ride was short and silent, the atmosphere comfortable, shame I wasn't. I was fidgeting, over analysing everything as Shane simply traced patterns on my thigh with his fingers. The car came to a halt as we pulled up outside the hectic air port, hoards of commuters entering the exit building, suitcases in hand. Airports had always been one of my favourite places; they made memories, shared tearful goodbyes and reunions. They were a place where people just let down their guards, showed all emotion. Even if it was anger due to the ridiculous boarding queue.

"I can't do this!"I exclaimed out of nowhere, coming to a complete stop "I can't" I muttered to myself, my head shaking as busy commuters whizzed by me.

Shane stopped a matter of feet in front of me, quickly realising my absence beside him "Mitch?" he retraced his steps, his eyes full of concern as he approached me "Mitch, what's wrong?"

I shook my head frustrated at my inability to make up my mind.

"Mitch?" he repeated, I could tell he was getting impatient. He was always paranoid about being on time or early, and with the approaching plane departure this was no exception.

"I can't get on this plane, I can't leave Shane, I just can't"

His eyes went wide "Mitchie if this is about your dad, he knows you'll visit all the time, when we get off of tour we can move him over the California, it'll be fine, I promise, but we need you Mitchie, we need you back on tour"

"But-"

"No buts Mitchie, if you're not going then I'm not going. I'm not going to leave you, I need you and I'm pretty sure you need me too"

He was right, I did need him

"You're getting on that plane regardless Shane, you have a freaking tour to complete for crying out loud, don't let down the band, get your priorities right" I sighed, trying to sort things out when all I really doing was avoiding the inevitable. Either way I was leaving someone.

"Then come with me Mitch, you're my main priority, you're my number one." He was literally begging me in the middle of the terminal "being away from you for two days literally killed me Mitch, I can't be away from you again."

I bowed my head, not knowing what to say...what was I supposed to say?

"Shane you know I love you..." I trailed off before he interrupted me

"So, are you coming or not?"

My focus darted between the terminal gate and the exit, my head telling me one way my heart saying the other. I inhaled deeply bringing my gaze to lock with Shane's

"Shane I..."

* * *

**So there we have it a pretty rubbish chapter and I can't believe I've been making you wait two months, but honestly I'm so sorry. Does she stay, does she go? Review and find out, I have a week off of college so I'm going to write like a beast. I promise for more frequent updates too.**

**At 541 now, 560 before I update. Much love.**


	22. Chapter 22

_-So sorry I haven't updated in forever._

_**You only get one shot so make it count  
You might never get this moment again  
The clock is ticking down, it's the final round  
So tell me what it is that's stopping you now  
You never know unless you try  
You'll only regret sitting wondering why**_

**-**_**One Shot- JLS**_

"Would you please for the love of God move your legs?" I hit Shane on his arm playfully as my legs struggled to get enough room. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to sound big headed, but I was used to first class. I was used to having the ability to move my legs, to lean by head back on the head rest without basically having it in the lap of the person behind.

So please do excuse me if I seem a little...less than happy.

"Hey, hey pretty lady, what's with the violence?" Shane stuck out his bottom lip, trying to formulate the best pout he could muster.

I squirmed a little, at least a little thankful that I managed to bag the window seat "You're never ending legs, that's what's the violence is about. They're taking up all the leg room"

"Aww baby you should have said, you know, instead of abusing me" Shane leaned forward, picking up my two legs with ease, before twisting me around so they were on his lap, my back now against the cool window. "Better?" he asked with a small smile spread across his lips

"Much" I couldn't help but return the smile as I looked at the man before me, I had chosen him. Who was I kidding, I could never leave him, just the very thought of being without him scared me half to death.

Standing at the terminal gate, plane in eyesight, and the guy I love standing before me, eyes glistening with tears was too much. My dad wouldn't have wanted me to be miserable, I'm sure of it. But I wasn't leaving him behind; I wasn't going to walk out of his life for the second time. I had already lost one parent, and I wasn't prepared to lose another one. Shane had promised me that as soon as the tour ended, the day after thanksgiving that we would search for the perfect place for my dad in California; close enough for me to visit him more often.

We were coming to the end of our long flight, our destination reaching ever closer, the space between us and our best friends getting increasingly smaller, and I for one could not wait.

Life without Caitlyn, Nate and Jason wasn't as colourful, wasn't as fun, wasn't as enjoyable. Everyone had been in contact with me endlessly since I left, Nate especially, with phone calls literally on the hour every hour professing how much he missed me. Seriously, if I wasn't dating Shane and he wasn't dating Caitlyn, I'm pretty sure we would be one of those intolerably loving couples. Except, we weren't. He was my rock, nothing more.

As the tyres of the plane came into contact with the tarmac ground beneath us, I couldn't help but squeal in excitement at the thought of what was waiting for me a few hundred metres away in the arrivals lounge. I excitedly bounced up and down in my seat until the plane came to a complete standstill and the seatbelt sign turned itself off, telling it was safe to unbuckle myself.

I ignored the laughs from Shane as I grabbed my hand luggage and pushed myself through the hoards of people trying to exit the plane, the anticipation almost too much to bear.

"Mitchie, slow down" Shane half shouted, half laughed in the distance as I skipped down the gate

"No!" was my only reply as my feet came to a standstill, my eyes hurriedly scanning the arrivals lounge for those certain three people. I could feel my heart in my chest, beating at a million miles per hour as I kept looking, my eyes finally landing on the sight I had been longing to see the entire flight- no offence to Shane of course.

"Ahhh!" I squealed excitedly as I ran towards them, Nate's arms already extended for me as I practically jumped him wrapping my legs around his waist, as I hugged him for dear life "Nate, god I've missed you so much!" I mumbled into his shoulder, causing his body to jerk slightly from laughter

"Mitchie, you know, people are watching, I thought we agreed to make sure we were out of sight when we ravish each other" I couldn't help but roll my eyes, this was the Nate I had missed so much.

"Ahem" a voice interrupted us, as I lifted my head slightly to look at Caitlyn, "is there something going on between you two that I don't know about?" she cocked her eyebrow in amusement as I grin spread across your face. I jumped down and moved on to Caitlyn, squeezing her to death as she shot Nate a 'help me I'm dying look'

I looked over her shoulder to see a out of breath Shane stumble towards us holding two bags, panting heavily, his face flustered slightly "thanks for waiting Mitchie" he remarked sarcastically as I just grinned in response.

We finished our reunion in the middle of baggage claims before the five of us squeezed into Nate's rented SUV and made our way back to the hotel, and back to reality. I leaned back into the leathered interior as I watched the Italian scenery pass us by, a content sigh leaving my lips.

This is where I was supposed to be, where I belonged.

-

* * *

SHANE

A week had passed since I had returned to Italian soil with Mitchie, and it was an understatement to tell you that I was happy. Right here, right now, I had never been happier.

I could hear the thousands upon thousands of screaming girls; shout our names from the other side of the curtain, as I moved closer, quickly taking a glance out there. Even though we had postponed their concert, they were still the most enthusiastic people ever. I don't know how many times myself, Nate or Jason have said it, but we truly have the most amazing fans on the face of the planet.

The band finished tuning up as Nate walked over, all ready in his dress pants and a simple white shirt, his favourite guitar slung over his shoulder. "Yo dude, what's up, you've been acting weird since the moment you landed" he rested a hand on my shoulder causing me to jump a little

"Err, no I haven't" I replied all too quickly, shoving my hands deep into my pockets, whilst shifting my weight to the balls of my feet.

Nate let out a chuckle as he shook his head "Yeah, okay whatever. Shane you've been jumpy every waking moment, every time you're with mitchie you start fidgeting like some toddler, you're constantly checking your phone, making private calls, we have to literally drag you off of the computer at nights because you're still on there at 4 in the freaking morning. Not to mention the shopping 'trips' you've made on your own, you _hate _shopping on your own"

I pursed my lips together in a tight line as the '3 minute warning' was signalled to us, a guitar literally being shoved into my grip as the band took their places.

"What are you hiding Shane?" Nate's voice got lower as he narrowed his eyes slightly "Is there someone else? Because I swear to god Shane if there is someone else I will kick your ass so fucking hard, you will land into 2010 with such a thud you won't be able to walk until 2011." The distance between myself and Nate was literally nonexistent as he shot me a dark glare.

My eyes widened at what he was accusing me off "What?! No! How could you even think that? You know I love Mitchie"

"Well then what the hell is it, because it's not just me who has noticed your weird behaviour, she has too ya'know" my eyes widened slightly at the statement, she had noticed? Shit.

"1 minute boys!" our show manager shouted in our ears as the introductory music started up, causing the already ecstatic audience to go even more crazy, my ears buzzing by the pure sound of them screaming

We scrambled to beneath the stage ready for our entrance, Nate still waiting patiently for an answer

"10 seconds"

"4...3..."

I looked at Nate with the widest grin imaginably spread across my face "I'm going to ask her to marry me"

Nate's mouth fell open in shock yet he didn't even have the chance to reply as the first number began to play and the platform began to rise. Show time.

-

* * *

The show was going amazing, every song getting more and more cheers then the last, but there was one thing... actually two things that were driving me absolutely insane.

Firstly, the glares from Nate, the wide eyed shocked beyond belief, weird lopsided smiled glares.

And the fact that Mitchie was front row, watching every move I make as I just sung to her, it was as if the thousands of other girls weren't there, she was the only one that truly mattered, all my songs, were meant for her ears. Well all the ones regarding love, I don't think the ones about breaking up are suitable.

We played the last song as we thanked and said goodbye to the crowd, bidding farewell to Italy until the next tour before running off of the stage drenched in sweat. Exhaling deeply I pushed my way into our make shift dressing room, throwing myself on the couch, not caring that I didn't smell or look too fresh.

"Okay what the fuck, you cannot tell me something that monumental 2 seconds before we go on stage, you fucktard" Nate came bursting through the door, Jason not far behind, his sweat drenched locks sticking to his forehead.

"Why hello there Nate, Jason, how are we doing my fine sirs" I outstretched my legs on the sofa, putting my hands behind my head as I let my eyes close for a few seconds, tiredness overwhelming me. I was going to have a little fun with this, either that or I would end up a nervous wreck and for my sanity, we don't want that.

Nate shut the door firmly behind him, before taking a few strides towards me "You're going to ask her to marry you?!" he whisper shouted, the revelation causing Jason to drop the drum sticks he was currently holding.

"WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTT!"He screeched "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" he started jumping up and down like an over excited kid about to open presents on Christmas day.

I simply shrugged "I guess I am"

"Since when? When are you going to do this, where? Why didn't you tell us before, what the hell dude?" Nate continued to shoot a million questions in my direction, as he ran his hands through his hair, still trying to comprehend the news.

"For a few weeks now, I know it may seem a little rushed, but she's the one you know? I knew since the moment I got off the plane to see her, just knowing the pain I went through when we were apart, I never want to experience that again. I've never felt that I've belonged somewhere as much as when Mitchie is in my arms, when I'm protecting her. So when we went to visit her dad, I asked for his blessing, and he said yes. I don't care that we've only known each other a few months, there's nothing in the world I'm more sure of than that I love her. I guess even from the moment I first laid eyes on her I knew there was something, sure it may have been mild hatred but it was there. That's why I've been so secretive, I've been ring shopping, organising everything. I want it to be perfect,"

Both Nate and Jason's expressions had significantly softened as I told them everything, excitement building up in the pit of my stomach.

"So when are you going to pop the question?" Jason asked, now sitting cross legged in front of me

"Christmas Eve"

"Aww" Nate said aloud, biting his lip straight after, afraid of letting any of his masculinity slip "Oh Shay I'm so happy for you, seriously I'm not lying when I say this, but that girl has been the making of you"

And he was right; I guess she has been the making of me, before I was a spoilt pop star who wanted everything their own way. I was antisocial to anyone and everyone besides a few 'elite' people, I ordered people around as if they were slaves, hell I threw coffees at people.

Looking back on it, I was a jack ass, how anyone put up with me is totally beyond my comprehension.

"Yeah, she has" I breathed out "but seriously I want to take you two to this jewellers before we leave the city, you know to do some ring sh-" my sentence came to an abrupt standstill as the door swung open, causing it to shake on its hinges slightly as it came into contact with the wall.

"Oh my god guys, you totally rocked it tonight!" Mitchie squealed as she raced into the room, Caitlyn in tow. "Although" she began slowly, her gaze moving to each of us "you seemed to be staring at Shane a lot with some wide eyed perplexed expression, did he have a fashion fopar or something, although I was front row, I couldn't see anything"

Nate's cheeks turned pink slightly as Mitchie waited for a reply "Oh..."he stuttered "he, he had his flies undone the entire show?"

Mitchie nodded her head slowly before shrugging "Okay then, still though, that's a little weird." I hoisted myself off of the sofa, tiredly striding towards her as I wrapped my arms around her petite frame, my chin resting on her head.

"Eww Shane!" she exclaimed, wriggling in my embrace "You stink!"

I let out a throaty laugh "Don't you think I smell sexy?" I asked, tightening my embrace

"Noo! Go have a shower before you even think about touching me again" she laughed as she successfully managed to pull away from my embrace, creating a great distance between us. I couldn't help but let myself stare as she quickly combed her hair with her fingers. She was gorgeous, the pit of my stomach erupting with butterflies just at the very sight of her. She was it for me, and I couldn't wait till I could call her mine officially.

I grabbed a towel off of the back of the chair, shooting her a wink before I walked into the shower room "Care to join?" I asked suggestively, wriggling my eyebrows, to which she just stared with an unimpressed expression

"No?"I pouted "Okay then" damn, I mentally cursed, one day Shane, one day

* * *

MITCHE

Have you ever thought that someone you loved was hiding something from you? Something that you are too terrified to think about, because if it's true, your world would inevitably crumble around your feet. Well yeah, that's pretty much how I'm feeling, and I don't know what to do.

Shane hasn't been himself ever since we got back from the US, he's been more secretive, hell he was acting exactly the same way he was when I first met him. And I don't like it. I had spent days on end racking my brain, trying to work out a reason for his drastic change in behaviour but I just couldn't think of anything.

I hadn't done anything wrong, had I?

No I hadn't. I have been nothing but good to him, supporting him, being there for him whenever he needed me. So why so distant?

I was enjoying a peaceful slumber until a loud crash awoke me, I moved my arm in the attempts to wake up Shane, yet it only came in contact with the cooling mattress.

"Shane?" I mumbled out, confused as to why he wasn't sound asleep next to me

"Where are you going?" I asked rubbing my eyes, my body still wanting a few more hours sleep, I rolled over slightly, squinting as I made out the time on the clock, it wasn't even seven in the morning, the boys didn't have to be at the radio station and other appearances till at least three.

"Shh, go back to sleep Mitch" he whispered, bringing the covers further up my body, tucking me in as I became more awake, realising he had avoided my question

"Where are you going, its early Shane, come back to bed" I hoisted myself up slowly, my limbs feeling heavy. My eyes adjusted to the light as I saw Shane tie up his shoes and grab his wallet off of the dresser, his overall appearance impeccable for this time of morning.

"Just the gym babe, I'll be back soon" he reassured, his back still facing me as I bit my lip. I knew for a fact he wasn't going to the gym. No one goes to the gym wearing blue skinny jeans, a smart shirt and brown leather shoes. No one (especially Shane) goes to the gym without a bag full of gym gear. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, my heart sinking as I felt that my worst fears were confirmed.

I stayed silent as he left the hotel room, leaving me in the king sized bed alone and confused. Things were getting progressively worse. First the distant and over obsessive behaviour, then private telephone calls and now going off blatantly lying about his whereabouts.

H-had he found someone else? Was he sneaking off to go and see some Italian goddess to get something I was obviously not? What if I was always the other woman and I didn't know about it, what if all this time I was just his piece on the side whilst he was away on tour.

What if it was all a sick and twisted game of his, that all along he was still the bastard Shane Grey I knew and hated when I first met him, that it was his ultimate thrill, getting me to fall for him.

Was this really happening to me again? Was I really that horrendous, that bad, that I was to be cheated on again? Did I not deserved to be loved?

Anger was now bubbling up inside me as I threw the bed covers off of me, leaping to the floor as I scrambled to find something clean to wear

I stared at the door for what seemed like hours, my body frozen to the chair as I just waited. Waited and waited for Shane to reappear. My head was no longer spinning with various scenarios, I felt no emotions. I was numb. I was knocked out of my trance like state as the door opened, Shane walking in with a grin on his face.

Fucking cheating bastard.

"Hey baby" he said sweetly, shutting the door behind him as he let his jacket fall to the floor in a heap. "Baby why are you sitting there staring at the door?" he spoke up after a few seconds "are you okay?" he took a few strides towards me

"How was the gym?" I interrupted, plastering my face with a sarcastic smile, my voice drained of any emotion

He nodded "it was good" his voice was smooth and confident as he picked up my hands, intertwining our fingers before pulling me up, still towering a good six or seven inches over me. "Tired" he added, throwing in a yawn for dramatic effect.

"Really?" I asked with a raised eyebrow

He let out a slight chuckle as he wrapped his arms around my waist "Yep, it's not easy trying to maintain a body like mine" he winked as I completely lost it, pulling away from his grip, not prepared to hear any more of his lies.

"Is that right?" I asked harshly, my voice raised as I walked towards the wardrobe, pulling out his usual gym bag and kit he wears, throwing it towards him "Now answer me this Shane, who the fuck goes to the gym looking like that, you look exactly the same as earlier, not to mention all your shit is still here, so you better tell me what the fuck is going on right now"

His face paled significantly as he knew I had caught him out, his mouth opening slightly, yet he was unable to formulate a reply.

I let out an unattractive snort, rolling my eyes "Whatever Shane, what fucking ever. Don't tell me what's going on, but don't expect me to hang around. "

"Mitchie, please" he begged as he tried to approach me "Its nothing bad, honestly!"

I threw my head back "then why lie? Why not tell me where you were going Shane? What do expect me to think when you are acting so weird recently?"

After a few seconds of silence and no inclination that an answer was on its way, I turned on my heal, striding towards the corner of the room where my empty suitcase stood, grabbing it with haste and throwing it to the floor, throwing anything and everything I could into it.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Shane's voice rung through the room, his tone full of confusion and worry.

"Packing Shane. Getting away from you." I said simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world "I knew from the moment I took this job that it was a bad idea, that you were bad news. But I gave you the benefit of the doubt; I worked around the intolerability of your personality, hoping there was some good in you. And you know what? I thought there was. I thought I broke this hard, bad boy exterior and saw the real you. The person that I stupidly fell in love with. You know I really thought you were it for me. Like I was so freaking serious that you were the one I would spend the rest of my living days with. But how can I now? How on earth can I stay with someone who doesn't trust me to tell me where they are? A person I can't trust? Its someone else isn't it Shane? You're fucking around with someone else aren't you?" I'm pretty sure my face was now as red as a tomato as I closed the distance between us, our bodies only a matter of inches away from each others.

"No!" he shouted, his voice verging on hysterical "No Mitchie!"

"Is she prettier than me?" I asked my fist coming into contact with his chest as I pounded on it "Is she smarter than me?" another, fist, another pound. "Are you getting any from her? Is it 'cos she's easy Shane? Is she a good fuck?" the pounding continued, each painful hit causing Shane to wince with a mixture of discomfort and the impact of my words

"No Mitchie, please, there's no one else, you know I love-"

"Don't" I spat out, breaking away from him "Don't you even dare say that you love me." My shoulders fell in defeat as sadness overcame, my breathing becoming shallow as I felt a tear cascade down my cheek "just don't." I picked up my suitcase and walked towards the door. "I thought you were different Shane. I really did, but you're not. You're no different to my mom, Ben, every other low life piece of scum that's deceived someone they supposedly loved. I've been through hell and back once Shane, I can't do through it again" a sob escaped my lips "I'm not strong enough. This-"I said pointing to myself "this is an act, an exterior I put on to try and protect myself. But I just can't let that happen to me again"

"Please don't leave Mitchie, please" he begged, trying to grab hold of my wrist as he blocked the exit.

"Move" I said forcefully, a sob building up in the back of my throat

"Please don't leave. Don't go, please" he too was now crying, a trail of tears running down his beautiful face. I fought back the urge to wipe them away, to run my hands through his hair, to do anything to turn that frown upside down.

But I was angry, right? I was mad, we were over. We were... were we?

"I'm still your personal assistant Shane, I'm going to do my job, but this was never part of it." I pushed Shane out of the way, as he moved in defeat, letting me leave the hotel room without another word exchanged. As soon as the door clicked shut I bowed my head as I let the silent tears full, as I heard Shane's sobs echo from the wooden plank dividing us.

I bit my lip, as the grip on my suitcase tightened, my legs taking me to the one place where I knew I could always go to- Nate. I didn't care if he was the offenders brother, I don't care if I looked a mess, my face streaked with mascara. Nate would make things right.

He always made things right.

* * *

**AN: Sorry if the timing is bad, as in, I don't know where in the year this should be, I re read the last few chapters and can't see anything, but for the sake of the storyline, its the beginning of November.**

**Okay guys I am so sorry that it has taken me forever and ever to update this, times are tough at the moment and writing as religiously as I used to just wasn't at the top of my priority list, but hey here I am now. Please review, it will mean the world to me, and actually give me some encouragement to actually continue writing this. 590 before next update? 600 and you'll get a really long ch?I've already started writing the next chapter  
**

**Laura x**


	23. Chapter 23

_**This is the part that nobody mentions  
I hope that you know all my intentions were true  
all that I wanted was you**_

_**-Amelia by Erik Hassle.**_

I stood outside Nate's hotel room for what felt like hours, just staring at the wooden door blankly, my hand gripping tightly to the suitcase handle, my body shaking slightly out of a mixture of anger and sadness. It was all too much to comprehend; my mind was spinning so much I felt sick. I wanted to cry, scream, throw myself off a tall building. It was as if my world was literally crashing around me.

Actually there was no if about this, I'm pretty sure it was over. I fought back the tears as my hand let go of my bag and hovered just by Nate's door, deliberating if I should knock or not.

Did Nate know?! After all Shane was his brother, they were close...there was nothing they didn't share with one another. What if he did know, what if he had just watched me participate in a relationship based on lies, distrust and deceit.

Did Caitlyn Know?

Oh my god, stop Mitchie, just stop, you're getting far too paranoid, more paranoid and upset then you are already.

I let out a frustrated sigh, angry and confused as my eyes momentarily flickered back towards the hotel room I had left in a heated rage just minutes before. The door still closed.

The bastard inside, still in the confines of those four walls.

He hadn't even tried to follow me, was he just as upset as I was, was it because he knew I had found out and was ashamed? I don't know. I honestly don't know anything anymore. I took a step back from my back as I ripped the zip open, rummaging amongst the hastily thrown in items in search of my purse, pulling it out from the bottom of my bag. I blew my bangs out of my face frustratingly as I pulled out the first credit card I could lay my hands on, and threw my purse back into my bag, giving it a small kick as it hit Nate's door. I spun the card in my hand a few times as I deliberated my next move, the need for a drink, and a strong one overwhelming me.

I nodded to myself, wiping away the mascara stains under my eyes as I straightened my body out, when life throws you nothing but shit, drink yourself into oblivion.

-

* * *

I strutted over to the bar, like a woman on a mission, not at all caring that I wasn't wearing the best attire for an Italian club, but I'm sure my black skinny jeans and red jumper will suit me just fine. It was still fairly early as I grabbed myself a seat at the bar, the music playing throughout the room as a few people mingled with one another. I pulled Shane's credit card out of my pocket, the one I had hastily grabbed earlier which was basically mine, telling me that I could use it whenever I needed to.

But I wasn't a charity case, I liked to pay my own way in life...this however, this was an exception, I was hurting and I was sure as hell going to make his bank balance feel the same. I tapped my fingers impatiently on the cool marble surface as the barman finally noticed me, shooting me a warm smile, which made two dimples visible on his cheeks.

He was hot, not going to lie, your typical hot Italian model type. I'm talking about tall dark and handsome. But not even a few seconds passed before Shane pushed his way into my mind, an image of him in nothing put a pair of sweatpants filling my imagination.

Fuck.

Stupid son of a bitch can't leave me alone for two minutes, even if it's only my imagination.

"Hello darling what can I get you?" the nameless barman asked, his thick sexy Italian accent filling my ears. For the purpose of this evening, let's call him Mr. tasty.

I deliberated for a second "Can I have a shot of vodka please? Actually make it a double"

The waiter nodded, walking over to pour me my drink before placing it on the counter next to me, swiping Shane' gold American Express "Are you okay my love?"

I brought the glass to my lips, throwing the cool liquid down the back of my throat as I felt it burn, an unpleasant, but at the same time making me want more, calming my nerves automatically, before I looked at the barman. I shrugged my shoulders "I'm sure with a few more of these" I said raising my glass "I'll be fine" I smiled at him sincerely "Another please, this time just one shot" he nodded grabbing me yet another drink before handing it to me and serving someone else.

I continued sitting there for god knows how long, knocking back shot after shot, momentarily switching to a soft drink in the hopes that it would reduce the feeling that had taken over me.

I slammed the shot glass on the counter, my head bobbing up and down to the music, and in all honesty due to the loss of control over all aspects of my body. I squinted as the liquid hit my throat, causing a harsh burning yet satisfying feeling as I beckoned the barman over one more "Same again please, make it a triple" I asked sweetly as I leant over the bar, no doubt giving the poor barman a decent look of my cleavage. I looked around aimlessly as I waited for my umpteenth drink of the night, Shane's credit card still clutched tightly in my hand, no doubt his name now indented in my palm.

"Last one pretty lady" the barman said with a sympathetic smile on his face, as I merely looked at him confused. If I wanted another drink, I'll sure damn as hell have another drink. Who did he think he was, my father?

"Excuse me?" I tried to ask as softly as possible, my words slurring all over the place as I gripped the shot glass tightly in my hand possessively, scared that someone was going to take it away from me.

"Lady, I do not know what your man has done to make you so sad, but it will be okay, alcohol will not help, especially when you wake up tomorrow morning"

Had I made it that obvious, that I was drinking myself stupid over Shane "My man?" I questioned further, trying my best to concentrate on the words that left Mr Tasty's mouth.

"Angel, it's obvious that you have troubles, and it must be a man, because what is a beautiful girl like you doing in a place like this on your own" he gave me a sad smile, and reached over to where my hand was gripping the side of the bar for support, placing his over mine giving it a slight squeeze "it will be okay bella, have faith"

I didn't know what else to say; in fact if I said too much, I'd no doubt spill the entire contents of my stomach up on his gorgeous leather Italian shoes. So I settled for a smile and a slight nod of the head, as I hoisted myself shakily off of the stool, my body swaying to the music as I stumbled across the dance floor.

I threw my heavy body down into an unoccupied leather booth, the support against my back, giving me instant relief to my aching muscles as I curled myself into a ball, bringing my knees to my chest. I let out a sob I didn't know I was holding, my chest heaving as I let go, my emotions getting the better of me.

I heard my phone buzz in my pocket as I pulled it out, my eyes quickly scanning the caller ID before answering, realising it was not Sir Douche Bag.

"Nate..." I greeted, sniffling, wiping my eyes with my free hand, mascara staining my hands.

"Where the hell are you?" he asked, his voice full of concern

Well dear Nathaniel I am sitting in an Italian club, being a complete wreck, and all I want is to be home, to be in my bed, back in America, away from all of this. I want for things to be okay.

But 'I wants' don't always get.

-

* * *

SHANE

I didn't know what to do, what to think, what to say. I was a mess, a complete wreck, currently sprawled on my hotel room floor against the wall. I was a sight for sore eyes.

Waiting, hoping, that she would walk back through that door any moment now and fix things.

I was never the sort of person who got emotional easily, in fact, besides the whole Kyle ordeal, I had rarely ever cried. But that had changed, I must look pathetic, my face blotchy, my eyes red as the tears continued to roll down my cheeks.

Had I lost her? Did she really think I had cheated on her? Really?

I had been a jerk in the past but I would never, ever cheat on someone, especially Mitchie. Everything had backfired on me. All the planning and sneaking around I've done, trying to arrange the most breath taking proposal party I could, something that really reflected just how much I love her, and now it's all gone to waste.

She hated me. She had left. Gone.

I couldn't even begin to comprehend my life without her; the most basic tasks would feel impossible knowing that she wasn't there. She was my everything. I saw a future with her, every monumental benchmark in our lives spent together. But I had royally fucked that one up.

I was knocked out of my sorry state as I heard pounding on the door, my heart automatically beginning to race at the thought that Mitchie had returned. I scrambled to my feet, throwing myself towards the door, yet my stomach fell with disappointment when I realised it was only Nate

His expression changed as he took in my appearance, his eyebrows knitting together with confusion "Shane?" he asked warily, stepping into the room, his appearance a little dishevelled as well.

But we all know it wasn't for the same reason I was. One word- Caitlyn. Sly dog. At least he had someone to hold.

I didn't reply, I just let out a defeated sigh, reaching for my phone, checking for any calls or texts I could have missed. Nothing.

"Shane" he placed a hand on my shoulder, his face now painted with worry "what's happened? Mitchie's bags were left by my door...what's going on?"

I raised my head, my attention caught "What?" I asked quietly

He nodded "Yeah, one minute I heard a knock against the door, to find a load of bags...what's going on? Dude have you been crying"

"S-she's gone" I choked out, fighting back another sob as I put my head in my hands, frustratingly pulling at my hair. "She left me"

"WHAT?!" Nate literally screeched, shaking me a little, his eyes wide

"She, She, the sneaking about, getting things ready for the engagement... She thought I was cheating on her! She thought I was cheating on her and left. She hates me Nate, She hates me."

"Man, didn't you tell her it was nothing to worry about?"

Obviously, prick. "Yes!" I exasperated "Of course I did, I tried over and over again, but she wasn't having it, she thought I was doing the exact same thing as Ben did to her, minus the sleeping with her mother"

Nate nodded, understanding why she left "You need to find her man, you can't just sit around here feeling sorry for herself. You love her right?"

"What sort of question is that?! You know I do, more than anything"

"Then go find her, I'll come with you, she can't have gone far"

My shoulders slumped "This city is huge, she could be anywhere Nate, hell she could be at the airport right now and I wouldn't know! What if she's in trouble? Oh god what if something happens to her? I'd never forgive myself, oh god." I was losing it, I was becoming hysteric, worry overwhelming me. I had to find Mitchie.

Nate pulled out his phone, hastily typing in the number we'd all grown accustom to calling, tapping his foot impatiently "Where the hell are you?" he practically bellowed as the call connected, his eyes never leaving mine as he listened intently to the other line. I had to practically restrain myself from lunging over, ripping the phone from his grip, but I wanted to know where she was, not for her to hang up on me.

I began to pace the room as Nate continued to throw a load of simple vague questions at her, my feet finding a pair of shoes in the process.

"She's at a club not far from here c'mon" he threw me my leather jacket , before heading out of the door. I followed suit, jogging along the corridors and down the staircase, no time nor patience to wait around for an elevator.

The short taxi journey was silent, my patience wearing thin as the driver stuck to the driving limit. He pulled up outside the club, neon lights illuminating the outside as I threw a few random notes at the driver thanking him before running into the club

I pushed though hoards of well dressed people, my eyes hurriedly scanning the room with urgency, the bright lights, limiting my view. I was about to lose all hope, thinking she had stumbled her way to somewhere else until my eyes caught sight on a familiar drunken mess in the corner.

My beautiful drunken mess. I strided towards her, Mitchie yet to notice me as she continued to stare absentmindedly into space, empty shot glass still in hand. I sighed as I gently removed her fingers from the glass, her defeated saddened face looked towards me wordlessly as I placed the glass on the table beside her. I ran my thumb across her cheek as I crouched in front of her, my heart breaking a little more at the sight of her, knowing that I was the reason she had drunk herself into this state.

"Mitch" I said, putting two fingers under her chin as I raised her head so she could look at me, her mascara streaked face evident. "Mitch" I repeated little louder, my tone more demanding as she reluctantly looked me in the eyes. She bit her lip as I pushed a strand of hair behind her ear "Why Mitch?" I asked simply, referring to her excessive alcohol consumption

She shrugged "I wanted to forget...I didn't want to hurt" I closed my eyes sadly momentarily at her words, guilt overwhelming me like a tidal wave.

"Baby, you've got to believe me" I took her hands in mine "I haven't cheated on you, I haven't even looked at another girl, why would I when I have everything I could ever wish for right here?" she continued to look at me blankly, her mouth still pursed shut as a single tear ran down her cheek, my eyes too now pricking with tears. She still didn't believe me.

"Mitchie, I swear there is nothing going on. I love you, and I would never compromise anything with you for someone else."

Her expression softened slightly as the tears continued to roll down her reddened face "then I don't get it" she said in a small voice, her words slurring into one another slightly "You're always gone. The lies Shane, I don't like the lies" her head flopped forward her gaze falling to her lap as her body continued to involuntarily sway a little.

"I know I haven't been completely truthful with you baby, but it's nothing bad, in fact it's really good."

"Then why didn't you say so?" she sniffled as she raised her head slightly.

I let out a soft chuckle, finding the tiniest sense of humour out of this situation "because you never gave me a chance"

I sighed, squeezing her hand tightly as I got up and sat beside her, scooping her into my arms like a baby, my lips just by her ear "I love you so much, but you've just got to believe me here. Just for a little bit longer, okay?" she buried her head into the crook of my neck and nodded, her body beginning to jerk slightly as I realised the silent tears that were previously slipping from her eyes had now turned into sobs. "Baby, don't cry" I cooed as I tried to pull her even closer

"Are we going to be okay?" she mumbled into my shoulder

The sight of us must have been tragic, and if people weren't too drunk or too busy dancing to the latest club hits, I'm sure we would have been attracting an audience.

"Of course we are" I looked up to see Nate entering the club, no doubt trying to find another taxi to take us back to the hotel, I shot him a smile and a knowing look as he approached us "come on baby let's get you back to the hotel, we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow" I got to my feet, Mitchie still in my arms as her body relaxed into my touch

"Oh and Shane?" she spoke up quietly as the cool air hit us

"Mhmm?"

"Sorry" she apologised.

I furrowed my eyebrows together in confusion, what on earth could she be sorry for, all of this was my fault. "What?"

She didn't say another word, instead she wriggled one of her arms out of my tight grip and waved my gold American express credit card in front of me, instantly realising what she was apologising for.

Looks like I was the clubs best customer this evening.

-

* * *

MITCHIE

"Eurgh" I groaned as I rolled myself over, my whole body feeling like it weighed a ton as I squinted my eyes together slightly, as surge of pain shooting up to my head.

Fuck my life.

I slowly hoisted myself up into a sitting position, my eyes still firmly closed as I tried to formulate a reason as to why I currently felt so absolutely shit.

Oh god. Please remind me never to drink again, I'm not joking, there is a reason as to why the legal drinking age is 21 in the states, compared to 16 here in Italy. I let out a pathetic whimper as I dared to open my eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the light.

I blinked a few times as my sight focused, realising I was back in mine and Shane's hotel room, the happenings of last night flooding back...

He hadn't cheated.

There was no one else.

We were going home!

If I wasn't severely hung over right now I would be dancing around the room like an idiot. My eyes scanned the hotel suite as I noticed Shane quietly packing up all of our belongings, placing everything in suitcases carefully, obviously trying not to disturb me.

How I ever doubted that man was seriously beyond me, no joke, I must have gone temporarily crazy. Of course there was still a part of me that felt uneasy about where the two of us stood, but there was no doubt that he loved me, loved me the way I loved him.

I quietly dragged myself out of bed, my feet coming into contact with the soft carpeted floor and I walked towards Shane, dressed in nothing but an oversized t shirt of his. I wrapped my arms around his bare torso, resting my head against his back, my fingers tracing the defined contours of his chest

"I'm sorry for doubting you baby, I love you, I really do." I spoke up placing a soft kiss on his back, his body relaxing in my touch. He removed my arms, turning around to face me, a soft smile playing at his lips, a look in his eyes I'd never seen before

"You don't have to apologise, it was all my fault"

I shook my head violently "no, no! It wasn't, I overreacted and I'm sorry, I just hate being out of the loop, I was scared, I'm still so scared of losing you"

"I am so in love with you Mitchie" he said as his head dipped down, his lips finding mine, taking my bottom lip between his kissing me tenderly as I felt him smile against my lips. He pulled away slightly, literally a millimetre between us "no one else, you're the one I love whole heartedly" he grabbed my hand, placing it flat against his chest "you cause this" he whispered referring to his rapid heart rate "every time I see you I fall more and more in love with you. Every time you bite your lip when you're nervous, every time you fall asleep in my arms makes me even more certain that I can't live without you. I was so close to losing you yesterday, I won't let that happen again"

Butterflies were erupting in my stomach violently as I just stood there speechless, no one has ever spoken to me in that way. Never. "I love you!" I exclaimed literally jumping him, wrapping my legs tightly around his waist, as he let out a throaty chuckle

"Babe as much as I love this, we've got to get ready, we have to be on a flight soon we're going home!"

"Home!" I exclaimed, squealing like a little child

We were going home!

-

* * *

I pushed myself past Nate and Shane who were lugging all of our baggage as I ran through my apartment, hurling myself at my uncomfortable mattress, instantly feeling at home. I let out a content sigh as my body sank into the mattress, the springs pressing into my back, but it didn't bother me, after months and months of hotel rooms and plane chairs, I was finally in my bed. I closed my eyes, the sense of relief and relaxation washing over me. I had no work, no nothing until the New Year, I officially had the next three weeks off, and I for one, could not wait.

I felt the mattress dip as a strong arm pulled me towards them, resting their chin on top of my head "Why hello there lover" I said as I breathed in the smell of his cologne, nestling myself into his chest

"Hello there beautiful" he replied, tightening the embrace

"What's with this romantic scenario we've got going on, if we're not careful it could end up messy" I joked, raising my head to look at Nate

He let out a throaty laugh "well you've been a stranger lately, and I miss you" he pouted "besides Shane and Caitlyn are arguing about what flavour box of pop tarts they should open first"

I rolled my eyes at the stupidity of our other halves as I contently laid in the embrace of my best friend. Above everything else in my life, I was beyond lucky to gained the most amazing friends as a result of landing a job with one of the biggest teen bands on the planet, but especially Nate. I knew that without fail the boy would jump off burning buildings for me, and I would the same for him, we were soul mates, but on a completely platonic level.

He loved Caitlyn

And I loved Shane.

And they weren't jealous or bothered by our cuddles or the fact that on occasion we acted like an old married couple.

"You know I love you don't you Mitch?" Nate asked, a sense of seriousness entering his voice. I nodded, a little taken back that he even had to ask me such a question.

"Of course I do" I replied as I played with one of his over grown curls.

"So you'd tell me if something was up, yeah?" I nodded "You know I'm always here for you Mitch, and I'm not going to lie, I'm worried about you" he sighed sadly.

I wriggled out of his embrace, rolling onto my side so I could face him properly as I plastered a lopsided smile on to my lips "I know, and really, I'm okay, I'm just a little all over the place you know. I feel like I've been pulled around so much over the past couple of months with everything that has happened that I have no sense of stability, and I need that Nate, I really do. I'm so emotionally drained that I just don't know what to feel. I want to laugh, cry and punch something all at the same time. And okay, I know Shane didn't cheat on me, but I don't like secrets, fact of the matter is, he's still been sneaking around. Does he not trust me? Because that scares me Nate."

"How do you mean?"

"I have become so dependable on this lifestyle Nate, I've become dependable on you guys. If this was all taken away from me tomorrow I'd be left with nothing. You are my family and I don't want to lose you if anything happened between me and Shane" I sniffled back a sob I didn't know was there as Nate reached towards my cheek and wiped away a stray tear

"Babe, we're always going to be here for you no matter what. There's no getting rid of us now. And as for you and Shane, you're in it for the long run, there is no doubt in my mind that you two are made for each other"

"How are you so sure about this Nate? What is he doesn't love me as much as he did" I know I was letting all my insecurities out, and I know I was letting my self esteem hit an all time low, but I couldn't help it. I didn't want to lose all this. I was scared.

Nate laughed as if what I had just said was the most hilarious thing in the world as I raised my eyebrows in confusion, I was seriously missing out on what the hell was so funny. "Mitch" he said between laughs "Mitchie, seriously, you've said some silly things in your time, but that has to be by far the stupidest thing you have ever said. I know my brother is douche half of the time and I know that he used to be a complete ass, but you have changed him. And he wouldn't just let anyone do that to him. He is so in love with you it's almost sickening. All I ever hear is, Mitchie, Mitchie, Mitchie. And trust me, he may not show it half the time but you are his world. Just wait and see what happens okay?"

I nodded, letting a genuine smile spread across my face as I embraced Nate in yet another hug "So enough about the pathetic life of me, how is everything going with you, and more importantly Caitlyn?"

Nate remained silent for a few seconds as his body tensed up in my embrace "err good" it was his turn to put on a fake smile, as he avoided eye contact

"hey now" I said poking his nose lightly "remember what you just said to me, now do the same, c'mon spill" I looked out towards the doorway to see Shane and Caitlyn in the living room scoffing numerous packets of pop tarts contently as they watched reruns of friends on TV, the threat of our heart to heart getting interrupted as not very likely.

Nate exhaled deeply "I don't think things are quite the same anymore" he admitted sadly

My eyes widened slightly, why was this the first time I had heard about this "between you and Caitlyn...?" I said slowly

"Yeah, things haven't really been right for a few weeks. The spark has gone, it's not just me, I think it's her too. Don't get me wrong we're still amazing friends, but I think that's all we were ever supposed to be. I love her, I really do, but it's not the sort of love that you and Shane have"

My heart sunk for Nate "Why didn't you tell me this before?!"

He shrugged "I didn't want to bother you, you've had so much on your plate recently, I didn't want to add to that. And besides I wasn't sure, I thought that maybe it was just a rough patch, but apparently not. I'm not so much sad that we're inevitably coming to an end, I'm sad that I think she might like somebody else"

Cue crazy Mitchie freak out "What?! Who!? What gives you this impression?" I was shooting questions at Nate left right and centre, a little shocked that I knew nothing, Caitlyn was supposed to be my best friend, we had been so since we were little kids, we told each other most things...but I guess not this.

"Please don't tell Shane this because he would pound the living crap outta him, but Jason"

"Jason?!" I literally shrieked

"Yeah, they've been hanging out literally all day every day recently, when I walk in they are always laughing or close, I know Jason wouldn't do anything whilst we were still together, but I know he wants to, I know my brother"

I gave Nate a sad look, as he simply shrugged, a comfortable silence falling between us for a minute or so

"You want to know something Nate? You are an incredible person. I'm not lying. You have the most caring heart ever, with the personality that people would kill for. You are undeniably talented and you my son are getting the looks of a Greek god. Your time will come, and one day you will make some girl the luckiest girl in the world. You just got to hang in there"

Nate leant over and placed a chaste kiss on my forehead "God, Shane is one lucky git." He smiled. "Thanks Mitch, you have no idea how much I love you"

"Feelings mutual kid... now let's go be the adults out of all of us and finish unpacking aye?"

Things were changing, and change is inevitable, but at the end of the day, no matter what faced us all, we were in this together.

-

**Wow guys, I love you all so much. No joke, 606 reviews? And here I am at chapter 23. **

**This chapter had a lot of insecurities on Mitchie's part, but we all go through that, doubt is always there.**

**I apologise that updates are slow these days, life is so hectic. I just hope you guys are still hanging on haha. So what did you think? Review please! Next update at 630?**

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	24. Chapter 24

_**You'll be the prince and i'll be the princess**_

_**its a love story baby just say yes**_

_**Taylor Swift-Love Story**_

I'm not going to lie to you, Christmas wasn't my kind of thing. I never looked forward to it when I was a kid like everyone else did, it never gave me that warm feeling, if I'm honest it was nothing special. Once I had passed the age of about 8 or 9, things in my family went down hill, we were no longer the tight knitted family that from the outside looked like one of those perfect families you'd see on the TV, we were broken. Every Christmas had a significant argument over my mums inability to keep her legs closed, one of them would always storm out, and I would be left, sat in the corner, numbly entertaining myself with whatever I had received that year. By the age of 16, the only thing that kept me around at christmas, was the fact that I was too young to go anywhere else, and that I simply couldn't leave my dad.

They say a child is always closer to one parent than the other, and I was always a daddy's girl, his princess. he without a doubt always made me smile, no matter how bad a domestic my parents had had that day. Everything I ever did, was to impress my dad, to grow up and be someone he could be proud of, but the moment I left, I felt that I ruined every chance of achieving that. I wasn't the daughter I had promised to be, I was a let down, someone who ran away and left everything the minute things turned to shit.

But this christmas was going to be different, I was determined to make it the best christmas yet, I would be surrounded by people I loved and who loved me back, what more could I possibly ask for? Don't get me wrong, it's going to be weird, the first christmas without my mom, and even though its only been a couple of months since she passed, time does heal, she may have not been the nicest woman, but she was my mom and I'll never forget the _good_ things she had done for me.

But here I was, sitting in the office of Hollywood records, somewhere I hadn't stepped foot in for the months that I had been touring Europe with the boys, working, when I was promised the holidays off. That's right, its December 22nd, and I'm stuck here in a poorly air conditioned, flash looking office somewhere on the third floor, trying to organise the second leg of the tour which started in two weeks. There really was no rest for the wicked. I scanned the room, looking for anything that could make my time here a little more enjoyable, but there was nothing. Nate was…I don't know where he was, all I know is that he jumped on a flight a couple of days ago promising he'll be back tomorrow night. Jason and Caitlyn were getting increasingly closer, much to my dislike, but who was I to judge, you cant help who you fall for. And as for Shane, he too had done a disappearing act, yet I knew his where abouts…New Jersey, bringing his parents and my dad home for Christmas.

It had been months on end since Shane had made any contact with his parents, they had become increasingly distant over the past few years, Shane claiming that his life was too busy to take a simple 3 hour domestic flight to see them. But recently, I don't know what, but something changed. he was constantly on the phone to his mom and dad, asking his mom advice that he couldn't approach me about, and now he was in new jersey picking them up ( as well as my dad) so they could spend Christmas with us.

I sighed, throwing the pen down on the table, I give up, there was no urgency to me finishing this work, it could wait until after Christmas, seriously what's the worst that could happen?

So what if Shane had one less pair of jeans custom made for the rest of the tour than he wanted, so what if Nate didn't have the suite he wanted, and who cares if Jason couldn't take an Xbox away with him? I didn't.

and I'm currently not caring if they did.

I banged my head against the wooden table slightly out of frustration when I heard my phone ring. I grabbed it, bringing it to my ear without looking at the caller ID

"Hello" I mumbled, my head still against the table

"Good morning sunshine, just checking to see how you are, not too bored or going out of your mind from babysitting my brother?"

I lifted my head off of the table, my mood improving ever so slightly as I heard the sound of Nate's voice "I'm alright, would be a lot better if I wasn't working, but I guess that's what I get for working for the most high maintenance band on the face of the planet"

"Hey!" he exclaimed defensively on the other end of the line "I resent that, we are not high maintenance"

"You might not be, and Shane may be improving a little bit, but Jason is like a little kid, it takes a lot of energy to keep that one under control"

Nate chucked slightly before his voice became serious, changing the subject completely "So how is… you know Jason and Caitlyn?"

I bit my lip, do I tell him the truth, that the two of them were spending every waking moment with one another, like no one else in the world existed that she hasn't muttered a word about Nate since they officially called it quits. That she hasn't shed a single tear over him like he has her. And that my friend is the happiest I've ever seen her, even more so than when she was with Nate?

"Ermm" I hesitated slightly

"Mitch, I'm a big boy, just tell me, please"

"They're pretty close Nate, really close. I'm so sorry but honestly, they are practically official and they're happy. I know that's what you don't want to hear…"

Nate cut me off "No, no its cool" he tried to assure me, but I could tell he was lying, his voice full of emotion that was giving it away "if they're happy then I'm happy"

"Really Nate?"

"No its not cool" he breathed. "its so far from cool, its fucking hot. I know I initiated the break up, so therefore I have no real reason to be this upset, but I cant help it Mitch, I really liked her, I still do. At one point I was sure I was in love with her. I don't have the best luck with the ladies, I'm not smooth like Shane, I'm not funny like Jason, I don't have anything special going for me, I'm just Nate, Nate Gray would eventually ruins everything."

I felt sorry for him, sorry and useless. I wanted to hug him, to be wherever the hell he was and just tell him that it'll be okay, just like he had done for me so many times in the past "Listen to me" I said sternly, not taking any of the bull shit that was leaving his mouth "Don't you say you don't have anything going for you, because that's lies and you know it. Nate you are amazing, I've told you this before. You have so much going for you, you write the most inspiring and breath taking music, you are beyond hilarious and you treat people amazingly. I know how much you liked Caitlyn and I as much as the next person am devastated that it didn't work out between the two of you, but don't be defeated. Don't give up. You're young, you will find the girl of your dreams and trust me, you'll look back on this and smile, because everything that happens in life makes you who you are. It leads you onto the next part of life"

"Mitch-ie" he whined "Why cant you just dump my brothers ass and be mine."

I smiled, letting out a slight laugh "because I love your brother and his ass"

Nate huffed, I could just imagine him pouting "Fine…I got to go Mitch, I'll talk to you soon okay?"

"Be safe, and come home soon please, I miss you and there is no point you licking your wounds somewhere far away on your own when you and me could be painting the town red"

"I'll be home soon I promise, cant stay away from my favourite girl for too long, love you"

"Love you too, bye" I hung up, slinging my phone in my bag and stuffing the rest of my schedules in one of the desk draws, deciding that that was enough work for me today.

I hoisted myself out of my chair and made my way towards my car, it was time to do something more productive and worthwhile;

Last minute Christmas shopping and getting a hair cut.

Absolutely perfect.

* * *

2 Days later...christmas eve.

I woke up groggily, a huge sigh escaping my lips as I rolled over in Shane's bed, my hand searching for him, knowing that he must have got home late last night, his flight apparently getting in around 2, before dropping his parents and my dad into the local Hilton, but when my hand reached out, expecting to come in contact with his warm, muscular body, yet only fell on the cool mattress, telling me that he hadn't joined me at any point during the night. my eyes slowly opened as I furrowed my eyebrows together, disappointment washing over me as my eyes confirmed my thoughts.

I bit my lip, trying not to let it all upset me as I hoisted myself out of bed, my feet coming into contact with his soft carpeted floor as I dragged myself to his set of drawers, finding an old t-shirt of his and throwing it over my head, covering the skimpy underwear that I had on. I stretched my limbs as I wordlessly left his room, carefully stepping through the hallways, in case anyone else was asleep. It was a little after 9, I didn't want to risk waking a jet legged Nate. my eyes scanned the house, letting myself enter every room that he could possibly be in….but nothing. I called out everyone's names, someone had to be home, it was Christmas Eve for crying out loud, everyone was supposed to be home, they promised.

But nothing. no reply.

I dragged myself down stairs to the kitchen, where my phone was lying on the counter, hopefully full of explanation as to why I was currently in the Gray's house all by myself…on my birthday. I looked at my phone, only one text…from Nate.

'_Hey Mitch, my flight got cancelled, I wont be back on home soil til around seven, can you please pick me up from the airport? my birthday present for you is in the gold bag in my closet. I expect you to be wearing it when you meet me. Take care baby cakes. Have a brilliant day x'_

i quickly typed out a reply, as well as a text to Shane demanding to know his where abouts as I threw my phone back on the counter, pissed off beyond comprehension, not at Nate, but at the fact that I had received a text from the wrong person. He had to have a reason to not come home last night, to not let me know where the hell he was, that he was okay.

There had to be a reason why he wasn't here with me now, like he promised.

But I would not let this get to me, I wouldn't, not on my birthday, not the day before Christmas. I raced up stairs as I remembered that there was a present waiting for me in Nate's closet. I swung open his door with force, causing it to shake on its hinges as I rushed over to his walk in wardrobe, my eyes automatically landing on the gold bag, which was no joke, nearly half my height. I knelt down beside the bag, noticing several wrapped up items, all with my name on them. I pulled out the smallest one, followed by one of those clothes bags on a hanger, eyeing up the mysterious garment with curiosity. I opened the small gift, a fit of laughter racking through my body as I admired the hand made CD Nate had made me, full of our recordings together, including one of a kind renditions of 'like a virgin' and 'Mambo number 5'

I moved onto the next gift, my fingers slowly pulling at the zipper, revealing the most breath taking dress I had ever laid my eyes on. I pulled out the cobalt blue one strapped dress, admiring it as I gasped at the designer tag. Note to self; kill Nate for spending so much on this god damn dress.

However it was the last few gifts which nearly sent me into cardiac arrest. His old producing equipment, and when I say old, I mean last years edition, all mine. My hands grazed across the mixing equipment in awe as my mind went into over drive at what I could do with it all. This had the foundations of helping my career, where I could finally produce my own things to present at labels. This was an opportunity to really make something of myself.

And that's what I did for the rest of the day, I messed around on numerous machines, and watched numerous episodes of will and grace as I tried to ignore the fact that my boyfriend was completely out of contact. He was alive, I knew that for sure, seeming as my dad had vowed that he had only seen him a matter of hours ago. Wasn't how I planned my day, but it would have to do.

And to make matters worse, Caitlyn and Jason had gone awol as well.

way to make me feel loved guys, way to make me feel loved.

Before I knew it, it was little after five, meaning I had just over an hour to get ready before I had to leave to pick Nate up from the airport. I raced into the shower before blow drying my hair, letting it curl naturally as I slipped on the dress. I applied a thin layer of making as I concentrated particularly on my eyes, knowing that they were my best feature. Once I was happy with my appearance I had five minutes to spare. I threw all my essentials in a small silver clutch bag and slipped on a pair of heels. I gave myself a quick once over in the mirror, impressed at how well I had scrubbed up this evening. I wasn't one to blow my own trumpet or anything. But man, I looked hot!

the drive to the airport was anything but exciting, the only thing raising any interest from me being the SUV full of boy racers who sped past me at one point, trying to knock me off of the road. couldn't imagine anything better than some boys who had only just got their licence causing me to scratch the paintwork of this over priced company car.

I pulled into a parking space, luckily only metres from the air port entrance as I let myself out of the car, automatically feeling self conscious at just how over dressed I currently was, especially compared to the jet legged tourists leaving the air port terminal. my heels clicked against the floor as I walked into the building, my eyes quickly scanning the area before landing on dear Nathaniel. his gaze met mine as he quickly strided towards me, his general appearance confusing the hell out of me.

"Happy Birthday!" he exclaimed as he threw his arms around me, almost knocking all the air out of my lungs, his arms wrapped tightly around me.

I laughed "thank you Nate, thank you for the dress, and the producing equipment, you are incredible"

he pulled away and shrugged "It's the least you deserve, besides….wow, Mitch, you look drop dead gorgeous, I'm having problems restraining myself from jumping you right now"

I swatted his arm playfully, he was such a joker as I asked him a question.

"Quick question; you have just arrived back from god knows where with no luggage what so ever, wearing a brand new Armani suit, which by the way is pretty hot, I would sleep with that suit, and you look completely fresh. Like there is no way on this earth you have just landed, so spill"

He put his hands in the air in surrender "Ah, you caught me, I didn't just land"

"Well then, when did you? and why am I picking you up from an airport dressed like this?" it wasn't a stupid question to ask, was it?

"I got back yesterday morning"

my eyes widened "What! so you have been back here for over a day and you didn't even think of coming home to see me or anything? where have you been, and more to the point where the hell are you brothers? I cant get in contact with anyone? I've been going out of my mind, and until this moment this has been the worst birthday ever"

his expression changed, obviously feeling guilty as he bit his lip "I'm sorry, but I promise, now that you are with me we'll change that." I just simply nodded as he slung his arm around my shoulders, leading me out of the air port "Oh and I'm driving okay?" he added as we came to a standstill out side of the car

"Look" I began, my patience now running a little thing as my confusion built " I don't know what the hell is going on, but just tell me one thing; is Shane and Jason okay?" I slipped into the passenger side of my car as I waited patiently for a reply. Nate got in a matter of seconds later, putting the keys in the ignition, starting up the car's engine.

"They are both fine, and seriously, please don't be mad at any of us because of today, all will be revealed in due course, just have a little faith and stop asking so many questions".

I crossed my arms over my chest as I sunk back into the chair "Fine" I huffed, not satisfied by the response as Nate pulled out of the parking space and out of the car park. the car journey to where ever the hell we were going was fairly quiet as I just stared out of the window, trying to determine where we were from the scenery around me. But nothing. Even though I hadn't spent a lot of time in LA, I knew where most places were, I knew the city pretty well, but this, well this I had never seen. the car turned the corner onto a road of high rise posh looking hotels and restaurants, everyone who was out in the streets, wearing formal attire and looking like they had more money than sense.

Nate pulled over outside a building which looked like some three story mansion come social extravaganza, the sheer beauty of the place itself nearly rendering me speechless. but this is me, nothing can really cause me to go speechless. I unbuckled myself as Nate raced over to my side of the car, opening the door for me as I stepped out, now understanding why I was wearing this attire.

He was taking me out for dinner at a posh restaurant, probably one that a three course meal would cost more than my annual pay check. but hey who was I to complain? he offered me his hand as I gladly accept, leading me into the lobby of the building, the interior flush and the staff dressed in perfectly ironed and fitting uniform.

"What are we doing here" I asked in a small voice, I had never been in a place like this before, not even with the boys during their tour. I felt out of place, a small town girl like me should never step foot in a place like this. Yet before I had chance to say anything else, Nate place a hand over my eyes, the other guiding me somewhere, his hand on the small of my back

"You my dear, ask too many questions" his hand left my back as I heard him open a door, leading me slowly into it, where ever we were, completely silent, almost eerily silent. "Happy birthday" he whispered in my ear before removing his hand from my eyes. I blinked a couple of times, regaining the ability to see, as I gasped at what I saw before me. my hand flew to my mouth as I looked at the amount of people crammed into the beautifully decorated room, there had to be at least a hundred people here. my eyes scanned the faces as I recognised several of my high school friends that I hadn't seen since graduation, my dad, endless celebrities as well as Shane's parents. but none of them matter when my eyes met those of someone who I should really be slapping in the face right now, but instead my heart swelled, my palms becoming a little sweaty as I took in his appearance.

his hair was freshly cut, the shorter hair style he had been sporting for a while making him look older, more mature, and not to mention absolutely irresistible. he was wearing a perfectly fitting grey suit over a white shirt and black tie, the outfit finished off by a pair of his signature nerd glasses framing his face. A smile formed on his lips as he approached me, everyone still shouting random 'surprises' and 'happy birthday's behind him. I opened my mouth to say something to him but was cut of as his lips crashed down on mine, aware that everyone was watching. my arms made their way to his neck as our mouths moved together in time. I smiled against his lips as I realised we had guests to attend to. I pulled away, letting my arms go from around his neck to his arms, laughing at the pout he gave me "not in front of everyone" I said playfully, my thoughts confirmed as numerous people looked at us.

"But why" he whined "Why cant I show everyone how I feel about you?"

"You can, just let me say hello to people first, some have travelled across the country for this party, which by the way, I have no idea why you have thrown, I would have been okay with a movie and a pizza you know"

"Meh" he shrugged, before shooting me another one of his million dollar smiles.

"Also" I poked his chest with my finger "You had me worried, I want a valid explanation as to why you weren't home last night and why I spent all day watching re runs of will and grace, got it?"

"Yes Ma'am, now come on I want to introduce you to my parents" I nodded, lacing my fingers with Shane as we walked through the crowds of people who were mingling and dancing together. my eyes fell on Mrs Gray first, the obvious source of the Gray brothers good looks.

"Mom, dad, this is Mitchie, Mitchie this is my mom and dad" Shane introduced us as I gave them a warm smile, extending my hand towards them yet I was surprised when Mrs Gray engulfed me in a tight hug

"So glad to finally put a face to the name I've been hearing my son rant on about for god knows how long" she mumbled as she continued to hold me. "thank you for brining back my son" she whispered so just I was able to hear. she eventually let me go giving me the opportunity to breathe again "You're absolutely beautiful as well, my Shane really got lucky"

"thank you" I whispered, feeling slightly embarrassed, a blush coming to my cheeks

"You were quite the topic of conversation whilst Shane was home" Mr Gray chimed in, him too, giving me a hug, yet not as bone crushing as his wife.

I looked at Shane with raised eyebrows "Really?" I asked as I saw his cheeks go slightly pink, obviously slightly embarrassed at the fact his parents were saying this to me

"Really, I'm not joking Mitchie, for the 2 days he was with us, he spoke about you constantly, all good I assure you. to be honest I think the only time he didn't speak about you was when he was calling Nathaniel some colourful names"

"Come on Mitch, lets go say hello to some other people" Shane grabbed my hand, pulling me away from his parents.

"Shane, what did you do that for! You're parents were telling me things!"

"They were being their usual humiliating selves, if I had left you in their company for another second I'm pretty sure my mom would have pulled out a stash of baby photos from somewhere and shown you some rather interesting photos" Oh man, I wanted to see that. Damn Shane. Maybe later.

"Care to dance?" he asked, changing the subject as I heard one of my favourite songs play- how to save a life by The Fray. I nodded, wrapping my arms around his neck "Gosh, I love this song, one day, I will see these guys life, it's like my ultimate dream" Shane laughed at me cutely as I looked at him confused

"What's so funny?"

he turned me around slightly, pointing towards the other end of the room where a band was playing, not just any band but…

"Oh my God Shane, you got the Fray to play at my party, on Christmas eve! How did you know I loved them?" my eyes were wide as I gigged excitedly up and down on the spot. This was the best birthday…ever.

"Wouldn't take a genius to work it out baby, you listen to them all the time, besides they are friends of the family, they were on the guest list anyway, they offered to play" I stuck close by Shane's side for a few more songs, just swaying in his arms, feeling the most content than I ever have before he pulled himself away with a quick apology and disappeared, causing me to mingle with people.

I laughed as I reminisced old high school stories with friends I hadn't seen in over a year, remembering just how much I missed my girls from New Jersey.

"I'm not joking, you guys have to come and visit me here again, you would be seriously impressed by the talent here. Unlike NJ, they actually have hot guys. I'm not talking 'oh you're cute' hot, I'm talking surfer, body of a Greek god hot." we all burst into laughter as I tried to get my girls to come stay in sunny California again after the holidays when the music cut out and I heard someone tap the microphone. Everyone went silent as I turned around slowly to see none other than Shane on stage looking absolutely petrified

Since when did Shane have stage fright? His job meant he practically lived in stage!

"Hi" he said shakily "As you all know, you're all here to celebrate my girlfriend Mitchie's birthday" he paused as everyone cheered. I took a few steps closer to the stage, closing the distance between us a little. "But you also know that's not the only reason why you are all here."

What?

"Mitchie, can you come up here?" he asked, locking his eyes with mine as I slowly made my way onto the stage

"What are you doing?" I whisper shouted, all of a sudden feeling extremely exposed in front of all these people

"Mitchie" he breathed, looking at me dead in the eyes before taking both of my hands in his "When I first met you, I hated you, not because of who you were, but because you didn't take my crap, you didn't let me effect you, you were persistent, even though I made your life uncomfortable. The day I made you cry, looking back on it, was the most guilty I had felt in years, I wanted nothing more to say sorry, to fix things, but I couldn't, I was a closed book. But you changed that, you saved me. You found me at that river and helped me turn my life around, to make me see the error of my ways and start living a life Kyle would be proud of. You made me find who I was, you restored my faith, brought me closer to my family, you made me fall in love with music all over again. And thank you doesn't quite seem enough."

Everyone had fallen silent, surrounding the two of us, listening intently, my heart racing in my chest as I tried to process Shane's words.

"And I look at you, and I have to ask myself, how on earth did I get so lucky? How did someone so perfect as you walk into my life and show me everything I was missing? Ever since Kyle passed, I never believed I could love someone, I felt that things like that didn't happen to people like me, I didn't deserve to be loved. to love someone. But I've never been more sure than anything in my life. You accept me for who I am, my flaws, my bad habits, everything. When I think about my life with you, I never see it ending, I see us settling down, having kids with your fiery eyes and my curly hair, skipping around our house, I see us watching them grow into the fine people we've raised. I see myself getting old with you, going through every stage of my life, knowing that you are by my side. You're the first thing on my mind when I wake up, and the last thing when I close my eyes. You're beautiful, you take my breath away without evening knowing it, it is as if the air has been sucked out of me the minute my eyes clasp on you. Whether you are wearing no makeup and sweats, or dressed up like you are now, I have never seen something more incredible than you. And I know we haven't been together long, and maybe to others what I'm about to do may seemed a little rushed, but you are it for me Mitchie, I never want to spend another day knowing that you could slip away at any moment. I want to show the world how in love with you I am. To treat you like a princess."

my eyes were glistening as tears were freely rolling down my cheeks. I was rendered speechless, never hearing such words ever leave someone's lips. My eyes quickly glanced over to my dad as he watched us with a wide smile on his face, his eyes too sparkling from tears as I felt Shane shift. My eyes darted back to him, to see his body fall to the floor, resting on one knee. It was as if the world stopped, everything happening in slow motion as I saw him reach into his jacket pocket.

"Mitchie Torres, you are without a doubt the love of my life, and I was wondering if you would do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

my hand flew to my mouth in utter shock as he presented a small red velvet box, opening it slowly, showing a white gold band with the biggest diamond I had ever laid my eyes on. I gulped harshly as I felt as if my heart was literally going to jump out of my chest. My eyes were glued to Shane, the anxiousness evident in his eyes, his body balancing on one knee shakily, telling me that he too was as scared as I was.

I blinked away the tears that were clouding my vision as I felt my head nod frantically, managing to choke the word yes out as Shane got to his feet, the biggest grin spreading across his face.

"Really?" he said just above a whisper, his face portraying a look of pure love, something that I knew was one of a kind.

I laughed, smile as the realisation hit me, I was engaged, Shane was my fiancée "Yes you fool, I'll marry you" I jumped into his embrace as he hugged me tightly, the crowd of people bursting into applause and cheers as I clung on to Shane for dear life.

He pulled away, grabbing my hand as he slid the ring onto my engagement finger, my eyes admiring it sparkle under the lights

"You know, I think you've made me the happiest man on the planet" Shane breathed again, his arms wrapping around my waist as people began to approach us to congratulate.

"Oh My God! Mitchie you are engaged this is freaking incredible, do you know how long I had to keep this all a secret! it literally killed me!" Caitlyn practically pounded towards us, engulfing me in a bone crushing hug before looking at my ring "Holy Jesus, that is one hell of a rock, Shane where did you get that"

"I spent days upon days searching all the best jewellers in Milan for it" he stated simply shrugging as my head slowly whipped round to look at him, everything falling into place all of a sudden

"That's where you were sneaking off too" it wasn't as much of a question but a statement to myself. He nodded.

"Yep. told you it was nothing to worry about"

I shot him an apologetic smile as Caitlyn hugged him "I'm sorry I ever doubted you" he brushed the comment off, telling me not to worry as Nate approached me with extended arms, tear tracks down his cheeks

"Nate…" I asked slowly, raising an eyebrow "Have you been crying?"

he sniffled, wiping his eyes quickly before wrapping his arms around me "No…okay maybe a little. Seriously Mitchie that was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen"

I couldn't help but let out an Aw at Nate and how cute he was being, it really made me question his masculinity sometimes. Joking….only slightly.

"Your brother really has a way with words"

he nodded against my embrace "I'm so happy for you two, you are absolutely perfect for one another, you have made my brother the happiest person in the world and I'll never be able to thank you enough for everything you've done for him." he pulled away to look at me in the eyes, letting me know just how serious his words were.

I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off again "I know you practically were already, but I'm so glad you are becoming part of the family, you are the bestest friend I could have ever asked for, and I know we act around a lot but I want you to know that no matter what I'll always be there to protect you"

I felt the tears coming again as I turned my head away from Nate slightly "Seriously, what is it with your family today, all you've been doing is making me cry"

he chuckled slightly, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear "I'm sorry" he apologised "But you are the best thing that has happened to us, and its about time we let you know that" my expression softened even more, if that was possible as I tried to comprehend just how lucky I was at this moment "Now go see your dad, he looks like he's about to burst with pride" I nodded, giving Nate a quick kiss on the cheek before ruffling his hair.

he shot me an unimpressed look as I simply shrugged "Sorry, those curls are hard to resist"

I raced over to my dad who was waiting for me with open arms "I cant believe you gave Shane your blessing, I thought no guy was ever good enough for me?" I questioned him playfully, clinging onto his body for dear life

"Mitch, that is one fine gentleman you've bagged yourself there, I knew from day one that he would always treat you right, love you the way you deserved"

Must stop crying, must stop crying.

"W-when did he….ask" my curiosity getting the better of me as I fitted all the pieces of Shane's mysterious behavioural puzzle together.

"When you saw me after your mother died."

I pulled away from his embrace abruptly, looking at him in disbelief, hold on, he asked way back then? "So everyone has known for that long? he's wanted to marry me since then?"

he nodded "I know it seems soon and that it was a big thing for him to do, but that boy is crazy in love with you, the way he looks at you is the way I used to look at your mother, I know that look. And you are happy with him. Far happier than you were with…you know."

"Thanks dad" I replied as a yawn escaped my lips

"Don't thank me, just go get yourself home, its been a long night, and I know that man of yours would curse himself if he found out how tired you were, not to mention how much you are hobbling due to those god damn heels. Why you women subject yourself to such unnecessary pain, I'll never know"

I nodded as I hobbled my way over to Shane, not wanting this night to end, yet my body was telling me otherwise

* * *

I stepped out of the car, my body feeling heavy as I struggled to stay away. I let out a low groan as I attempted to drag myself indoors. I heard a chuckle from behind me

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you, if you want any baby Shane's in the future you'd shut up" I mumbled in a short tone, my feet feeling as if they were on fire after wearing a pair of the most uncomfortable heels all night long. Being a girl was painful. Before I could register what was happening next I was scooped off of my feet and into Shane's arms as he carried me bridal style into his house and up the stairs. "I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to carry me into your bedroom, isn't that bad luck or something" I said into his chest as we approached his rooms.

"I could always put you down?" I shut up, shaking my head in his embrace "thought so" he placed me gently on his bed as he quickly stripped down to a wife beater and boxers.

"Undress me" I asked softly, my eyes closed as I stood lamely at the end of his bed, having no energy to sort myself out. he gulped as he approached me, undoing the zip, letting the dress fall to the ground in a heap before slipping another one of his t-shirts over my head. I exhaled deeply as the cool fabric came in contact with my skin. I crawled onto his bed and under the covers, snuggling up as he joined me, his arm instantly wrapping itself around my waist, pulling me closer.

"I love you" he whispered, placing a kiss on my temple

"I love you too" I replied lazily, but the meaning still present "thank you for making this the best day ever"

I sighed happily, glancing at my ring one last time as I felt my heavy eyelids close, Shane's voice becoming more and more distant as sleep over took me, I was engaged, I don't see how life could get much better.

* * *

**Okay guys, I'm not going to lie here, but there may not be much more to this story, unless I miraculously think of something else to focus on. But yeah If I cant, you'll have one chapter. one fast forward chapter and an epilogue left. Sad aye? So we are at 637 reviews at the moment, which is incredible and I cant thank you all enough. Don't suppose you could try and get me to 665?maybe 670? I would love love love 750 reviews before I finish this story.**

**If any of you have twitter, follow me up, lets chat, username is xolp**

**PS. SEEING NICK JONAS 3 TIMES IN LES MIS IN JUNE/JULY. also major jealous of the love interest who gets to make out with him for 3 weeks.**


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